MBN: THE MONTE BUBBLES NETWORK

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. 1st Class Charles J. Jones, 29, of Lawrenceburg, Kan., died from
a non-combat related incident on Sept. 20, Jones was assigned to the
National Guard's 149th Brigade Combat Team, Louisville, Ky.

The incident is under investigation.

DoD Identifies Marine Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two Marines who
were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Howard S. March Jr., 20, of Buffalo, N.Y., died Sept. 24
while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar
province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd
Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Lance Cpl. Rene Martinez, 20, of Miami, Fla., died Sept. 24 while
conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar province,
Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine
Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
 

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pvt. Eric M. Kavanagh, 20, of Glen Burnie, Md., died of injuries
suffered in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept. 20, when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Kavanagh was
assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat
Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.

 

 DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Allan R. Bevington, 22, of Beaver Falls, Pa., died of injuries
suffered in Ar Ramadi, Iraq on Sept.21, when an improvised explosive
device detonated near him during combat operations. Bevington was assigned
to the 40th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored
Division, Baumholder, Germany.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

1st Lt. Ashley L. (Henderson) Huff, 23, of Belle Mead, N.J., died of
injuries suffered in Mosul, Iraq, on Sept.19, when a suicide
vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near her mounted patrol during
combat operations. Huff was assigned to the 549th Military Police
Company, 385th Military Police Battalion, Fort Stewart, Ga.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Cpl. Cesar A. Granados, 21, of Le Grand, Calif., died of injuries
sustained in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept.15, when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Granados was
assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 4th
Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

In times of war or crisis, the citizen-soldiers of our National Guard
and Reserve are ready and willing to answer the call of duty. During
National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week, we express our
deep gratitude to these brave men and women and to the employers who
support them and enable them to serve.

Members of the National Guard and Reserve put on the uniform of the
United States when our country needs them most. In the war on terror,
thousands of these civilians from all walks of life have been called away
from their jobs and families and mobilized for duty around the world.
They are performing many different missions, but all are working to
deliver the blessings of freedom to people who have not known liberty.

Here at home, the National Guard is working to protect our borders, and
National Guard personnel and Reservists help rebuild communities and
bring comfort, security, and healing to individuals in the aftermath of
hurricanes and other natural disasters. The dedicated service of our
National Guard and Reserve personnel is vital to the security of our
Nation, and these patriots are an inspiration and source of pride to all
Americans.

We also appreciate the commitment of the civilian employers of these
courageous men and women. By providing time off, pay, health care
benefits, and job security, these employers help members of the National Guard
and Reserve and their families serve our country and prepare for their
return to civilian life. In offices, schools, factories, and small
businesses across America, employers operate without some of their most
talented people, and America appreciates their support and the support
they provide to their employees in our National Guard and Reserve.

National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week is an important
opportunity to express our country's debt of gratitude to the men and
women of the National Guard and Reserve and to all the employers who
stand behind these dedicated individuals.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 24 through
September 30, 2006, as National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
Week. I encourage all Americans to join me in expressing our thanks to
members of our National Guard and Reserve and their civilian employers
for their patriotic sacrifice on behalf of our Nation. I also call upon
State and local officials, private organizations, businesses, and all
military commanders to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies and
activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day
of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
thirty-first.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Bush to Declassify Iraq Intelligence Report

Sending the U.S. military into Iraq was
not a mistake, and if America had never gone into Iraq, terrorists would
still be active and would still be promoting their radical movement,
President Bush said here today.

To dispel rumors and speculation about the findings of a National
Intelligence Estimate on Iraq, which was recently leaked to the media, Bush
announced today that he is declassifying the document so the public can
draw their own conclusions.

"You can read it for yourself. We'll stop all the speculation, all the
politics about somebody saying something about Iraq, you know, somebody
trying to confuse the American people about the nature of this enemy,"
Bush said during a joint news conference with Afghan President Hamid
Karzai at the White House.

The media has reported that the classified report, which was completed
in April, finds that the Iraq war increased the terrorist threat to the
United States. Bush said he agrees that because of coalition successes
against the leadership of al Qaeda, the enemy is becoming more diffuse
and independent in Iraq, but said he does not believe that there would
be less terrorism in the world if America had not gone into Iraq.

"To suggest that if we weren't in Iraq, we would see a rosier scenario
with fewer extremists joining the radical movement requires us to
ignore 20 years of experience," Bush said. "We weren't in Iraq when we got
attacked on September the 11th. We weren't in Iraq, and thousands of
fighters were trained in terror camps inside (Afghanistan.) We weren't in
Iraq when they first attacked the World Trade Center in 1993. We
weren't in Iraq when they bombed the (USS) Cole. We weren't in Iraq when they
blew up our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania."

If the U.S. weren't in Iraq, the terrorists would find other places to
attack, because they have a history of killing to achieve their
objectives, Bush said. Going on the offense against these terrorists is the
only solution that will keep America safe, he said.

"This government is going to do whatever it takes to protect its
homeland," he said. "The best way to protect America is defeat these killers
overseas so we do not have to face them here at home. We're not going
to let lies and propaganda by the enemy dictate how we win this war."

Karzai also defended U.S. action in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying that
terrorism existed long before Sept. 11, and more action needs to be
taken around the world to get rid of extremists.

For years, extremist forces have been killing people in Afghanistan and
the surrounding region, closing schools, burning mosques, uprooting
vineyards, and forcing populations to poverty and misery, Karzai said. The
terrorists came to America on Sept. 11, but they were attacking U.S.
interests abroad for many years before that, he noted.

"We are a witness in Afghanistan as to what they are and how they can
hurt," Karzai said, likening that to Americans witnessing the Sept. 11,
2001, attack in New York. "You were a witness in New York," he said.
"Do you forget people jumping off the 80th floor or 70th floor when the
planes hit them?

"Who did that? And where are they now? And how do we fight them? How do
we get rid of them, other than going after them? Should we wait for
them to come and kill us again?" Karzai asked. "That's why we need more
action around the world, in Afghanistan and elsewhere, to get them
defeated --- extremism, their allies, terrorists and the likes of them."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Defense
Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld discussed progress being made in
Afghanistan and NATO assuming responsibility for the country during meetings at
the Pentagon today.

Karzai also thanked American servicemembers for liberating his country
from Taliban tyranny.

Rumsfeld called NATO assumption of responsibility for security in
Afghanistan a "truly historic event." The North Atlantic Alliance is
assuming security missions in the southern part of the country and will assume
security responsibility for the east by the end of the year. NATO
already commands the International Security Assistance Force in the north
and west and in Kabul.

"(NATO nations) are engaged in a major military activity outside of the
NATO treaty area, outside of Europe, and ... are engaged in one way or
another in assisting in Afghanistan with the security activities,"
Rumsfeld said during a short news conference following the Pentagon talks.

All told, 42 countries are working under NATO's umbrella in
Afghanistan.

The secretary told Karzai that NATO leadership "reflects a commitment
on the part of those 26 countries to your success and to the success of
the Afghan people."

Karzai said he spoke about progress in Afghanistan since the country's
liberation almost five years ago; reconstruction, including building
institutions and roads; the return of 4 million Afghan refugees to the
nation following the fall of the Taliban; and political success in
writing a constitution and electing a government under that document.

"We also discussed the problems we have: the question of drugs,
corruption and the continuation of the fight against terrorism," Karzai said.

The president called narcotics a menace to Afghanistan. "It's also an
embarrassment to us as a nation," he said. "We are ashamed of that
terrible product hurting us and hurting young people around the world."

He said Afghanistan will take on the problem of opium poppies -- which,
according to U.S. State Department figures, account for roughly 40
percent of Afghanistan's gross national product. "Whether the rest of the
world will come to help us or not, it is first our job to destroy
poppies and get rid of it," he said.

Karzai said he visited with American servicemembers who had been
wounded in his country during a trip to Walter Reed Army Medical Center here
yesterday. "I was taken by emotions there," he said. "So my message for
the American soldiers in Afghanistan is that they have liberated us
from tyranny, from terrorism, from oppression, from occupation into a
country that is now moving towards prosperity, that is once again the home
of all Afghans."

The American presence in Afghanistan also provides security to the rest
of the world by fighting terrorism, Karzai said. "It means also
security for America and for Europe," he said. "Therefore, the continuation of
this fight in Afghanistan, in which all of us participate, is actually
working for all of us around the world and in Afghanistan, for which we
are grateful."

A Marine corporal quizzed top leaders at a
recent Pentagon employees' question-and-answer session about what the
department can do to counter the reporting of negative news from Iraq
and Afghanistan.

"Negativity in the press is absolutely detrimental to the morale of our
forces and our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan," Cpl. John A. Stukins
said to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Marine Gen. Peter Pace,
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a Sept. 22 town hall meeting.

"What are we doing to confront this problem and to better the morale of
our forces over there -- not only over there, but here as well?" asked
Stukins, a 23-year-old administrative specialist from Lafayette, La.,
who works with the Marine Staff at the Pentagon.

Rumsfeld and Pace both congratulated Stukins for asking his question.

Fielding Stukins' query, Pace said there was around-the-clock media
coverage of the overseas exploits of the U.S. military early on during the
global war on terrorism.

"We had television, newspapers, magazines," Pace explained. "If you
were interested, you could read as much as you wanted and you could watch
as much as you wanted, and you could form your own opinions."

However, as the conflict continued, other issues began to compete with
military news for radio or television airtime or newspaper or magazine
copy inches, Pace said.

"News is a business, and now the news cycle is such that only certain
amounts (of coverage) of every day are allocated to coverage of the
war," Pace said. "And, unfortunately, the parts of the war that then become
shown are the parts that capture people's attentions."

And, more often than not, Pace noted, today's military news coverage in
Iraq and Afghanistan seems to focus on "where the bombs are going off,"
instead of "where the schools are being built and the like."

So, the general said, it's important that department leaders and
rank-and-file military members tell the public about the good, as well as the
not-so-good, military news from overseas.

One way the military provides unfiltered information to the public is
having Iraq and Afghanistan veterans share their wartime experiences
with hometown citizens, Pace said.

It's necessary "to make ourselves more available to the American people
so that we can, in fact, get more of the story out here so that the
American people -- whose center of gravity is really very, very solid --
have the opportunity to digest all that information and judge for
themselves what's really going on," Pace said.

In a later interview with American Forces Press Service, Stukins said
he believes U.S. military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan is the
right thing to do. He joined the Marines shortly after completing high
school in October 2001 and said the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001,
greatly influenced his decision to enlist. Stukins recalled working at
Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, in January 2005 when he'd heard
30 Marines and a Navy corpsman had died in a helicopter crash in Iraq.

The incident was jarring, Stukins said, because he'd prepared the
deployment orders for most of the Marines who died.

"To see my name in association with them, it struck deep," Stukins
said. "These guys were doing the greatest things out there." Hawaiian
newscasts reported the incident, Stukins recalled, noting some residents who
were interviewed seemed to sharply question the purpose and necessity
of the war.

Stukins said he thought such a presentation of the news "was
reprehensible" and seemed to discount the sacrifices made by the servicemembers
who died.

"Basically, (it's) somebody speaking ill of your sacrifice," the
corporal said, as well as compounding the suffering of friends, spouses and
relatives of the deceased.

Stukins says he's a firm believer in freedom of speech as guaranteed in
the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights. "But, I also have the right to
respect your right to be wrong," he said.

The U.S. military is doing a great job fighting terrorism in Iraq and
Afghanistan, Stukins said. But, he stressed, things would be better "if
people could see the good things that are going on over there and not
hear all about the bad."

Stukins said he's thankful he could express his views to his leaders
directly at the Pentagon town hall meeting. "It's great to have open
dialogue," he said.

The U.S. Coast Guard will be featured in
two major productions debuting this month: an original documentary
episode of "Recon" airing on the Pentagon Channel entitled "Always Ready,"
and a Hollywood feature film entitled "The Guardian," starring Kevin
Costner and Ashton Kutchner.

Despite participation in nearly every conflict, U.S. forces have been
involved in, most Americans know very little about the Coast Guard's
wartime contributions and way of life. As the smallest military service,
the Coast Guard's many unique missions aren't always recognized by other
servicemembers and civilians, officials said. However, this is about to
change.

"The history of the Coast Guard is a story of continual adaptation
since 1790," U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, Adm. Thad Allen said during an
interview for the "Always Ready" show. "So while changing and adapting to
port security in the post-9-11 world, we have actually done a lot over
the history of the service," he said.

Taken from the U.S. Coast Guard's motto, "Semper Paradus," or "always
ready," the documentary first aired on the Pentagon Channel Sept. 22. In
addition to airing on cable and satellite, it is available through
video-on-demand and podcast online at www.pentagonchannel.mil.

Recon is the Pentagon Channel's signature original, monthly, half-hour
series that provides an in-depth look at a variety of topics and issues
from real-world operations, missions, military events, and other
subjects highlighting the accomplishments of U.S. military men and women.

Interest in producing a show about the Coast Guard stems from Air Force
Master Sgt. Daniela Marchus' time spent with USCG Port Security Unit
308 in Gulfport, Miss., in the days following Hurricane Katrina. A
producer for the series, Marchus was part of a five-member Pentagon Channel
team sent to Mississippi and Louisiana to cover military participation
in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

"They opened their doors to our team and let us move right in and set
up shop for our coverage of military operations in the wake of Katrina,"
she said. "Many evening hours were spent winding down and swapping
stories about where our service had taken us over the years," she said.

That's when she learned all of her perceptions of what the Coast Guard
is and does were way off the mark. "That made me want to do a little
something to help change similar perceptions others might have," Marchus
said.

"Always Ready" features the Coast Guard's involvement in Operation
Iraqi Freedom, introduces viewers to the service's enlisted boot camp and
its officer academy and finally, tells the story of the service's
heritage and where it is going in the future.

Marchus summed up her perception with, "The Coast Guard does so much,
yet gets so little recognition for their efforts."

"Now, more people will have a chance to get two distinct looks into the
unique service via Hollywood and Washington," she said.
The Hollywood film partly filmed at Barksdale Air Force Base, in
Louisiana, hits screens nationwide Sept. 29.

The Pentagon Channel, the Department of Defense's cable television
channel, broadcasts military news and information for and about the 2.6
million members of the U.S. armed forces -- active duty, National Guard
and reserve -- to more than 12 million households through commercial
distribution on satellite and cable systems nationwide. In addition,
Pentagon Channel programming is available online through video-on-demand and
podcasting at www.pentagonchannel.mil.

The Pentagon Channel is available on-base to more than one million
servicemembers who live and work on 325 military bases, camps and
installations in the U.S. The channel also is available to the 800,000
servicemembers and their families serving overseas in 177 countries via the
American Forces Radio and Television Service.

 With reports circulating of a Taliban
resurgence in Afghanistan, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said quelling the
Taliban is only part of the bigger response needed for a secure and
peaceful country.

"It's not eliminating the Taliban. It's ending terrorist violence in
Afghanistan," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press" today. "We have defeated
(terrorists, but) to defeat them completely, to take them off the
agenda, for us that is the purpose."

President Bush will meet in Washington with Karzai and Pakistani
President Pervez Musharraf later this week to discuss the best way to
accomplish this.

Karzai said he believes that cooperation between Afghanistan and
Pakistan is the best way to defeat terrorism in the region.

In an interview on CNN's "Late Edition," the Afghan president said he
is waiting to see the results of a recent agreement between the
Pakistani government and tribal chieftains of Pakistan's Waziristan province,
which borders Afghanistan.

Musharraf said the agreement will help control cross-border movement of
terrorists. "Unfortunately, since the agreement was signed, we saw more
violence in Afghanistan exactly at the border areas with north
Waziristan (in) Pakistan," Karzai said. "Our governor ... was assassinated with
a suicide bombing, so we'll have to really see ... if the agreement
will hold as signed."

Focusing on "madrassas," or religious schools, also is essential to
ending terrorism, Karzai said. Often madrassas aren't religious schools at
all, but terrorist training camps where hate is taught, he said. "If
you go there and stop them and remove those places, it will be much safer
for all of us," Karzai said.

Eliminating poppy production, the proceeds from which often fund
terrorism, also would make the country safer, he said. Afghanistan is
responsible for about 95 percent of the world's supply of opium, made from the
seeds of poppy flowers. In Nangarhar province, implementation of
alternative livelihoods helped reduce poppy production 95 percent, Karzai
said.

Years of war, destruction and desperation made Afghanistan the leader
in the production of poppies, and therefore opium. Karzai and his
government have taken steps to eradicate poppy crops, though it will take
perhaps another five to 10 years and the implementation of alternative
livelihoods to achieve this goal, he said.

"(It's) an embarrassment to Afghanistan, but a reality," he said. "We
are facing a difficulty (in eradicating the crops), but we are not
failing the challenge."

Nor is the country standing alone in its challenges. It continues to
enjoy the support of the western world and is grateful for the resources
it has received.

"I think the West has stood with Afghanistan quite steadfastly so far,
and they will stay with us because this is not just a fight for
Afghanistan," Karzai said. "The world may have a difference of opinion over
Iraq, but the world is united on Afghanistan."

Sept. 24, 2006 - President Bush said he relies on military
advisors and other officials on the ground in Iraq to keep him abreast
of the situation in the country, and they're telling him civil war is
not imminent.

"This notion that we're in civil war is just not true according to
them," he told Wolf Blitzer in an interview taped earlier this week that
aired today.

The Iraqis have an unbelievable will and resiliency, he said citing
evidence that the country is strengthening its fledgling democracy. He
said he's impressed by Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's strength
and character as well as the decision-making process he's put in place.
Bush also noted the Iraqi army is still recruiting and training new
members.

"There's a strong will for democracy," Bush said. "I fully recognize
it's still dangerous and there's still work to do."

Those at the Iraqi government's highest levels are carrying their share
of the workload, as well, Bush said.

However, one effort by Maliki, a hug and kiss for the Iranian president
during a visit to Tehran, has caused many to raise a collective
eyebrow. Bush, however, said he read nothing into the gesture and that
Maliki's trip to Tehran was simply a necessary discussion between leaders.

"What's going on here is you've got the president of a sovereign nation
going to a neighbor and making it clear to the neighbor to stop
meddling with their new democracy," Bush said. "(Maliki) is a man who is
dedicated and committed to a unity government (and) is taking great risks to
advance the cause of peace and unity in his country."

Amid questions surrounding the state of affairs in Iraq, Bush said he
"strongly stands by" his decision to remove Saddam Hussein.

"I viewed Saddam Hussein for what he was, a threat," Bush said. "Now
we've got to help this young democracy survive."

The president acknowledged that other threats exist in the world --
North Korea and Iran among them -- and said he takes each one seriously.
Each threat, however, must be dealt with individually, Bush said.

"My judgment is you've got to take everybody's word seriously in this
world. You can't just hope for the best," he said. "Absolutely I take
(Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) seriously, just like I take al
Qaeda seriously when they say they're going to attack us again, just like
I take these extremists seriously when they say they're trying to
disrupt democracies."

 CONTRACTS

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Dominion Virginia Power, Portsmouth, Va., is being awarded a maximum
$214,076,898 firm fixed price contract with re-determination for
ownership, operation and maintenance of the electrical distribution system at
Fort Belvoir, Va., for Army. Contract has a 50-year contract period.
There were 250 proposals solicited and 1 responded. Contract funds will
not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance
completion is 2057. Contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center
(DESC), Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-06-C-8252).

Dominion Virginia Power, Portsmouth, Va., is being awarded a maximum
$73,283,703 firm fixed price contract with re-determination for
ownership, operation and maintenance of the electrical distribution system at
Fort Myer, Va., for Army. Location of performance is Fort McNair,
Washington, D.C. Contract has a 50-year contract period. There were 250
proposals solicited and 1 responded. Contract funds will not expire at the
end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is 2057.
Contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), Fort
Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-06-C-8251).

NAVY

Sikorsky Support Services, Inc., Pensacola, Fla., is being awarded a
$119,169,702 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced,
cost-reimbursable indefinite-delivery requirements contract
(N00019-06-D-0017) to exercise an option for contractor logistics support services
for the T-34, T-44, and T-6 aircraft.Work will be performed at the Naval
Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi, Texas (40.42 percent); NAS Whiting
Field, Fla. (39.37 percent); NAS Pensacola, Fla. (12.07 percent); NAS
Lemoore, Calif. (1.84 percent); NAS Oceana, Va. (1.57 percent); Marine
Corps Air Station, Miramar, Calif. (.79 percent); Naval Air Warfare Center
Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md. (.79 percent); Aviation
Technical Test Center , Fort Rucker, Ala. (.79 percent); Naval Air Facility, El
Centro, Calif. (.52 percent); Pope Air Force Base, Fayetteville, N.C.
(.52 percent); NAS Jacksonville, Fla. (.52 percent); National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Edwards Air Force Base,
Calif. (.26 percent); NASA Cleveland, Ohio (.26 percent); and Fort
Eustis, Va. (.26 percent), and is expected to be completed in September
2006.Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal
year.The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting
activity.

Protective Products International, Sunrise, Fla., is being awarded a
$33,647,022 firm-fixed-price contract for 60,000 Modular Tactical Vests
(MTVs) with associated training. Work will be performed in Sunrise,
Fla. (60 percent); Fenton, Mo. (25 percent); and, Lares, Puerto Rico (15
percent), and is expected to be completed December 2007.Contract funds
in the amount of $33,647,022 will expire at the end of the current
fiscal year.This award results from a limited competition with three
proposals solicited.The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the
contracting activity (M67854-06-C-3044).

Nico-Pyrotechnik Hanns-Jurgen Diederichs GmbH & Co, Trittau,
Germany, is being awarded a $29,218,021
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the production, testing, and delivery of 40mm MK281
Mod 0 and Mod 1 Training Cartridges.The base year is for a maximum
quantity of 1,200,000 training cartridges, first article testing, technical
data support, and inert models.This contract includes options which, if
exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to
$65,000,000.Work will be performed in Trittau, Germany (21 percent) and West
Springfield, Mass. (20 percent); East Camden, Ariz. (17 percent);
Windham, Maine (15 percent); Verona, Va. (15 percent), Clinton, Mass. (7
percent); and Stafford, Va. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by
September 2007.Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current
fiscal year.This contract was a sole-source follow-on procurement via
publication on the Federal Business Opportunities and Navy
Electronic Commerce On-line, with one offer received.The Marine Corps
Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity
(M67854-06-D-1027).

ALION Science and Technology Corp., Chicago, Ill., is being awarded a
$27,098,793 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order against a previously
awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract
(N61339-03-D-0300) to provide modeling and simulation services for Army ground vehicle
systems.Services to be provided include research, engineering analysis,
technical evaluations, program planning, logistical assessments,
operational best practices, and risk/benefit analysis.Work will be performed
in Warren, Mich., (46 percent); Ft. Lee, Va., (38 percent); Rock
Island, Ill., (8 percent); Alexandria, Va. (6 percent); and Ft. Lewis, Wash.,
(2 percent) and is expected to be completed in May 2009.Contract funds
in the amount of $76,951 will expire at the end of the fiscal year.The
Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Fla., is
the contracting activity.

Simula Aerospace & Defense Group, Inc., Phoenix, Arizona, is being
awarded a $23,923,625 firm-fixed price,
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for enhanced small arms protective inserts used as
personal armor by Marines and the ballistic carriers used to attach the
plates to other protective equipment worn.The contract includes options
which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract
to $34,472,105.Work will be performed in Phoenix, Ariz., and is
expected to be completed in November 2007.Contract funds in the amount of
$20,650,719 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.This contract
is awarded as a result of a full and open competitive solicitation and
is for the unrestricted portion of the solicitation.The Marine Corps
Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity
(M67854-06-D-3031).

Boeing Aerospace Operations, Midwest City, Okla., is being awarded a
$20,876,578 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced
contract (N00019-01-C-0110) to exercise an option for the procurement of
organizational, intermediate, and limited depot-level aircraft
maintenance, management, logistics support services and other services as
specified for approximately 16 F/A-18A/B/C/D, 2 SH-60F, 2 HH-60H helicopters
and 14 F-16A/B aircraft based at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center,
Fallon, Nev.This effort includes maintaining associated support
equipment, power plants, airframes, aviation life support systems, electronics
and electrical instruments, armament radar/fire control and flight line
services in order to meet the flying program and its daily mission
requirements.Work will be performed in Fallon, Nev. and is expected to be
completed in September 2007.Contract funds will not expire at the end of
the current fiscal year.The Naval Air Systems Command,
Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.

Armorworks, Inc., Tempe, Arizona, is being awarded a $19,967,360
firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for
enhanced small arms protective inserts used as personal armor by Marines and
the ballistic carriers used to attach the plates to other protective
equipment worn.The contract includes options which, if exercised, would
bring the cumulative value of this contract to $28,872,246.Work will be
performed in Tempe, Arizona, and is expected to be completed in May
2007.Contract funds in the amount of $13,309,483 will expire at the end of
the current fiscal year.This contract is awarded as a result of a full
and open competitive solicitation and is for the unrestricted portion
of the solicitation.The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is
the contracting activity (M67854-06-D-3071).

Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, is being awarded a $17,897,742 cost plus
award fee contract for accomplishment of the post shakedown
availability for the USS Farragut (DDG 99).Work will be performed in Mayport, Fla.
(98 percent) and Bath, Maine (2 percent), and is expected to be
completed by June 2007.Contract funds will not expire at the end of the
current fiscal year.The contract was competitively procured and advertised on
the Internet, with two offers received.The Naval Sea Systems Command,
Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-06-C-2310).

Armorworks, Inc., Tempe, Arizona, is being awarded a $13,348,432
firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for
enhanced small arms protective inserts used as personal armor by Marines and
the ballistic carriers used to attach the plates to other protective
equipment worn.The contract includes options which, if exercised, would
bring the cumulative value of this contract to $19,393,328.Work will be
performed in Tempe, Arizona, and is expected to be completed in May
2007.Contract funds in the amount of $9,024,991 will expire at the end of
the current fiscal year.This contract is awarded as a result of a full
and open competitive solicitation and is for the small business
set-aside portion of the solicitation.The Marine Corps Systems Command,
Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-06-D-3072).

PRI-DELJEN, Naval Air Station (NAS) Whiting Field, Fla., AJV (A Joint
Venture)*,San Diego, Calif., is being awarded $11,307,925 firm-fixed
price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for
multi-function facilities support services at NAS, Whiting Field.The work to be
performed provides for labor, management, supervision, materials, supplies,
tools and vehicles to perform public works administration, facilities
management, facilities investment, facility maintenance services - pest
control, utility plant and distribution operations and maintenance,
chiller, electrical, gas, wastewater, steam and water, environmental
services, centrally managed safety services, and base support vehicles and
equipment.This contract contains options, which if exercised would bring
the total cumulative value of the contract to $109,598,318. Work will
be performed at NAS Whiting Field, Fla., and outlying sites, and the
expected completion date is September 2007 (September 2016 with
options).Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal
year.This contract was competitively procured via the Naval Facilities
Engineering Command e-solicitation website with four offers received. The
Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is
the contracting activity (N62467-06-D-0076).

Hedgecock Electric, Inc.*, Pensacola, Fla., was awarded September 22,
2006 a $10,733,000 firm-fixed-price contract for repairs and upgrades
to airfield lighting system at Naval Air Station, Key West.Work will be
performed in Key West, Fla., and is expected to be completed by June
2008.Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal
year.This contract was competitively procured as a Two-Phase Design Build via
the NAVFAC e-solicitation website with nine offers received in Phase I,
six selected to proceed to Phase II, and three offerors submitted Phase
II proposals.The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast,
Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (contract number
N69272-06-C-0015).

NAVMAR Applied Sciences Corp.*, Chester, Pa., is being awarded a
$9,783,919 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order against a previously awarded
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N68335-05-D-0020) for
a Phase III Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program under
Topic N92-170 entitled "LADAR (Laser Radar) Identification Demonstration"
and Topic N94-178 entitled "Air Deployable Expendable Multi-Parameter
Environmental Probe."The contract is to develop and produce new and
improved sensors and communication systems to improve surveillance,
detection, classification, and targeting capabilities for manned and unmanned
air and sea vehicles.Work will be performed in Chester, Pa., and is
expected to be completed in September 2008.Contract funds will not expire
at the end of the current fiscal year.The Naval Air Warfare Center
Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity.

Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a
$9,499,926 modification to a previously awarded contract
(N00019-04-C-0001) for the Fiscal Year 2006 acquisition logistics support for the Lot
III and IV Low Rate Initial Production H-1 aircraft.Support to be
provided includes systems engineering and program management, development of
logistics management information data for technical publications, post
production support plans, and detailed functional description
documentation packages for H-1 peculiar support equipment.This modification also
includes options for Fiscal Year 2007 acquisition logistics
support.Work will be performed in Hurst, Texas, and is expected to be completed in
December 2007.Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current
fiscal year.The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the
contracting activity.

Olin Corp., Winchester Ammunition, East Alton, Ill., is being awarded
a potential $6,165,723 firm-fixed-price,
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for a maximum 10,750 cases of 9MM Frangible
Ammunition.9MM Frangible Ammunition will be used in support of the United
States Air Force.This ammunition will be used for training purposes.Work
will be performed in East Alton, Ill., and is expected to be completed by
September 2011.Contract funds in the amount of $842,835, will expire at
the end of the current fiscal year.This contract was competitively
procured and publicized on the world-wide web, with three offers
received.The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Ind., is the
contracting activity (N00164-06-D-4884).

Guam Industrial Services Inc., dba Guam Shipyard, is being awarded a
$6,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the USS Frank Cable (AS-40)
phased maintenance availability.Work will be performed in Guam, (South
Pacific) USA, and is expected to be completed by April 2007.Contract funds
in the amount of $6,000,000, will expire at the end of the current
fiscal year.The contract was not competitively procured.The Pearl Harbor
Naval Shipyard and Intermediary Maintenance Facility, Honolulu, Hawaii,
is the contracting activity. (N32253-06-C-0022)

Solipsys Corp., Laurel, Md., is being awarded a $5,214,850
cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-05-5115)
for design and development of Pacific fleet Tactical Component Network
(PAC TCN) efforts.These efforts shall support the evaluation of TCN
technology against Network-Centric Warfare requirements and the Navy's Open
Architecture objectives for future combatant application.Work will be
performed in Laurel, Md., and is expected to be completed by March
2008.Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal
year.The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is contracting activity
(N00024-05-C-5115).

Berger/ABAM Engineers, Inc., Federal Way, Wash., is being awarded a
not-to-exceed $5,000,000 firm-fixed-price,
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect-engineer contract for marine/waterfront projects to
support the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC),
Northwest.Work will be performed at various installations within the NAVFAC
Northwest area of responsibility including, but not limited to, Washington (92
percent; Alaska (2 percent); Oregon (2 percent); Idaho (2 percent); and
Montana (2 percent), and is expected to be complete September
2007.Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.This
contract was competitively procured via the NAVFAC e-solicitation
website with four proposals received.The Naval Facilities Engineering
Command, Northwest, Silverdale, Wash., is the contracting activity
(N44255-06-D-1104).

AIR FORCE

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a
$22,163,441 cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification.This effort is
for the operation of the Global Hawk System in a forward theater of
operation for a classified length of time, which includes personnel,
equipment, logistics and communication support.At this time, total funds have
been obligated.This work will be complete January 2007.303 Aeronautical
Systems Group, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the
contracting activity.(F33657-03-G-4306/P0038)

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a
$20,554,834 firm-fixed-price contract modification.This action provides
for initial spares for RQ-4A and RQ-4B Global hawk Air Vehicles.At this
time, total funds have been obligated.Solicitations began February 2006
and negotiations were complete September 2006.This work will be
complete February 2008.303 Aeronautical Systems Group, Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.(F33657-03-C-4310/P00024)

Lockheed Martin Integrated Technology, Wakefield, Mass., is being
awarded a $12,028,749 firm-fixed price contract.This effort provides for
consolidated intelligence.At this time, total funds have been
obligated.This work will be complete September 2007.6th Air Mobility Wing, Macdill
Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.(FA4814-04-A-0048
(BPA)/FA4814-06-F-A382 (DO))

Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $9,850,000
cost-plus-fixed fee, firm-fixed-price, time and materials, indefinite
delivery/indefinite quantity contract.This action provides for
engineering services for the Raytheon specific PAVEWAY weapons systems.This is a
five-year ordering period from the date of award through September
2011.At this time, $435,500 have been obligated.This work will be complete
September 2012.784th Combat Sustainment Group, Hill Air Force Base,
Utah, is the contracting activity.(FA8213-06-D-0003)

BOOZ Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Va., is being awarded a $6,613,354
cost-plus-fixed fee contract.This contract is associated with the
"TANGRAM," a fully automated, continuously operating, and intelligence
analysis support system.The purpose of this effort is to provide information
understanding for better and faster access to quality intelligence
information through systematic performance evaluations to ascertain the
value of the TANGRAM system under development.This demonstration will
occur four times during the course of these effort and monthly status and
final technical reports will be delivered.The contractor performing this
effort will cooperate with other contractors in this program in order
to share information and improve the overall output of the program.At
this time, $377,172 have been obligated.Solicitations began in September
2005 and negotiations were complete September 2006.This work will be
complete September 2010.Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, N.Y.,
is the contracting activity.(FA8750-06-C-0208)

First Identification of U.S. Soldier Missing in Action from World War I


The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO)
announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from
World War I, have been identified and returned to his family for burial
with full military honors.

This is the first time the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) has
identified a soldier unaccounted for from World War I.

He is Army Pvt. Francis Lupo of Cincinnati, Ohio.He will be buried on
Tuesday,
Sept. 26, 2006, at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

Representatives from the Army met with Lupo's next-of-kin to explain
the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with
military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.

In 1918, Lupo participated in the combined French-American attack on
the Germans near Soissons, France, in what came to be known as the Second
Battle of the Marne.Despite heavy Allied losses, this battle has been
regarded as a turning point in the war, halting and reversing the final
German advances toward Paris.

Lupo, a member of Company E, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry
Division, was killed in action during the battle, but his remains were
never recovered.

In 2003, while conducting a survey in preparation for a construction
project, a French archaeological team discovered human remains and other
items a short distance from Soissons.Among the items recovered were a
military boot fragment and a wallet bearing Lupo's name.The items were
given by the French to U.S. officials for analysis.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence,
scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory
also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of Lupo's remains.

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.


Cpl. Yull Estrada Rodriguez, 21, of Alegre Lajas, Puerto Rico, died
Sept. 20 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al
Anbar province, Iraq.He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine
Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe
Bay, Hawaii.

 Four soldiers have died in separate
incidents in Iraq in recent days, and defense officials have released the
identities of several servicemembers killed earlier.


    One soldier assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, died
yesterday from wounds suffered in enemy action in Anbar province.


    A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died around 11:40 p.m.
yesterday after the vehicle he was traveling in was struck by an
improvised explosive device in eastern Baghdad.


    A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier was killed by small-arms
fire around 10:40 a.m. Sept. 20 in northeastern Baghdad.


    A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died around 10:30 p.m.
Sept. 20 after the vehicle he was traveling in was struck by an improvised
explosive device in northern Baghdad.

Officials released no further details on these incidents, and the
soldiers' identitities are being witheld pending notification of their next
of kin.

Officials have released the identities of a Marine and three soldiers
who have died recently in Iraq.

Marine Sgt. Christopher M. Zimmerman, 28, of Stephenville, Texas, died
Sept. 20 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province. He was
assigned to 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd
Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

The following three soldiers died in Baghdad on Sept. 14 of injuries
suffered when a car bomb detonated near a western-Baghdad substation:

    Army Sgt. Aaron A. Smith, 31, of Killeen, Texas, was assigned to
4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored
Division, Baumholder, Germany.


    Army Sgt. Jennifer M. Hartman, 21, of New Ringgold, Pa., was
assigned to 4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas.


    Army Cpl. Marcus A. Cain, 20, of Crowley, La., was assigned to 4th
Support Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood,
Texas.

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.They died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept. 14 of injuries suffered when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated in the vicinity of a West Baghdad Substation where they were located.

Killed were:

Sgt. Aaron A. Smith, 31, of Killeen, Texas. Smith was assigned to the
4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored
Division, Baumholder, Germany.

Sgt. Jennifer M. Hartman, 21, of New Ringgold, Pa. Hartman was
assigned to the 4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division,
Fort Hood, Texas.

Cpl. Marcus A. Cain, 20, of Crowley, La. Cain was assigned to the 4th
Support Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood,
Texas.

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Christopher M. Zimmerman, 28, of Stephenville, Texas, died Sept.
20 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar
province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd
Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

 If you're currently a chef on active duty
in the Armed Forces, TV cooking-show icon Emeril Lagasse wants your
favorite recipe.

Emeril is looking for a military chef who has the right recipe and
knows how to use it. Any military chef who has a favorite dish can enter
the first ever Military-Only Emeril Cooking Contest. Recipes ranging from
jambalaya or marinated steak to specialty pies and appetizers all have
a chance of winning.

"I have great respect for our men and women who serve in the military,"
Emeril said. "I also understand the challenges their chefs face
stationed all over the world. We created this contest to acknowledge their
hard work and dedication."

Emeril will pick his favorite entries, which will be used in an
upcoming show. Recipes must be original creations and will be judged on
creativity and, above all, taste.

The idea for the contest came from the show's great experience with the
men and women of the armed forces, Karen Katz, a producer for the
"Emeril Live" program, said. An aircraft hanger at McGuire Air Force Base,
in Lakehurst, N.J., was the taping site of one of 2005's best "Emeril
Live" shows and "was a huge success," she said.

"We have continued to have great experiences with the military when
they have been included on the show, so when the idea for the
military-only cooking contest came up, we all were on board," Katz said.

The contest starts at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday Sept. 25 and
ends at 5:00 p.m. Monday Oct. 9. Interested chef's can enter by visiting
the Food Network Web site at www.FoodNetwork.com and completing an entry
form online that outlines personal and military background and the
recipe. Participants must be at least 18, U.S. residents and active-duty
servicemembers.

"We are anxious to see what is being served out there," Katz said. "We
are always amazed by what America is cooking and are excited to include
chefs of the Armed Forces."

 NASCAR drivers and top brass came out in
full force at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here last night to show
their support for America's wounded troops.

"It's important to support our troops because they're defending our
freedoms," Greg Biffle, driver of the National Guard-sponsored No. 16 car,
said prior to a dinner in honor of injured servicemembers. "I've been
here about a half dozen times, and it's always very emotional because
many of the soldiers have serious life threatening-type injuries they're
recovering from. My appreciation for them is overwhelming."

Earlier in the day, the drivers and executives visited wounded troops
in the hospital wards. "A lot of them seem like they are disappointed
that they're here," Biffle said. "Not just because they're injured, but
because they'd rather be with their unit, which I find extraordinarily
patriotic."

Ashton Lewis, driver of the Marine Corps-sponsored No. 25 car, agreed
with Biffle. "When you get a chance to come to (the National Naval
Medical Center at) Bethesda or Walter Reed, like we are today, and you see
the commitment and sacrifices our troops make, it really humbles you,"
he said.

Lewis said he felt fortunate to drive a racecar for a living and added
that American troops are partly responsible that good fortune. "I
wouldn't get that opportunity if it weren't for what these men and women in
the armed forces do for us," he said. "I have a tremendous amount of
respect for their efforts."

Army Cpl. Christopher Strickland, 20, a hospital patient and "big time"
NASCAR fan, said he appreciated the drivers' coming out. "I think it's
awesome. I love coming to things like this to see that people actually
care about us," he said.

Strickland was injured in Ramadi, Iraq, in July. His injuries include
two shattered heels, various broken bones, loss of sight in his right
eye, and a severely damaged right arm. He said he felt if it wasn't for
the superb treatment he's received at Walter Reed he'd be a lot worse
off. "The doctors here are awesome," he said. "They saved my arm and my
eye."

Army Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, Walter Reed commander, called
NASCAR a uniquely American sport. "The fact that you took time out of your
busy schedule to spend some time with us is immensely generous," he told
the drivers.

The drivers attending the dinner at the Karen Wagner Sports Center, on
the Walter Reed campus, included Biffle, Lewis, Carl Edwards, Joe
Nemechek, Sterling Marlin and Kyle Busch.

Retired NASCAR driver, Darrell Waltrip, served as master of ceremonies
for the night's event, which included a musical performance by singer
Scott Stapp, frontman of the band Creed, and tenor Daniel Rodriguez, who
belted out "God Bless America."

"We know a lot of you are big fans, but we're also big fans of yours,"
Waltrip told the injured troops. "We think about you every weekend when
they drop that green flag."

Waltrip thanked all those who made the night's event possible,
including those associated with the America Supports You program. America
Supports You is a Defense Department program that highlights the various
ways the American people are supporting the armed forces.

Attendees received generous gift bags containing some useful items,
including Mechanix Wear gloves, which are worn by NASCAR pit crews. The
protective gloves are great for gripping and might help patients learn to
manipulate wheelchairs. Mechanix Wear also donated numerous pairs of
gloves to the hospital's amputee patient care center.

NASCAR has a long history of supporting members of the armed forces,
Brian France, NASCAR's chief executive officer, said. "If you go to a
NASCAR race you'll see that the armed forces are a big part of what we
do," he said. "What most of us know is that the real heroes aren't in
sports or business, they're those who keep us safe 365 days a year."

Since June 23, 1936, the last Sunday in
September has been recognized as Gold Star Mother's Day, thanks to Senate
Joint Resolution 115.

On Sept. 20, President Bush issued a proclamation declaring that, this
year, Sept. 24 will be observed as Gold Star Mother's Day.

"I call upon all government officials to display the flag of the United
States over government buildings on this solemn day," he said in the
proclamation. "I also encourage the American people to display the flag
and hold appropriate ceremonies as a public expression of our nation's
sympathy and respect for our Gold Star Mothers."

Gold Star Mothers have lost a son or daughter in service to the
country.

Every generation has produced patriots willing to sacrifice for the
nation. Many of these individuals have made the ultimate sacrifice. It's
because of their sacrifices, and those of their mothers, that America
lives in freedom, he said.

"In the words of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, 'There's
nothing adequate which anyone in any place can say to those who are
entitled to display the gold star in their windows,'" Bush said. "On Gold Star
Mother's Day, we pay special tribute to the mothers of those lost while
defending our country and extending the blessings of liberty to
others."

 

Four U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq since
yesterday, and Defense Department officials have released the
identities of earlier casualties.

-- A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died in a non-combat
incident in Baghdad around 6 a.m. today.

-- An 89th Military Police Brigade soldier was killed, and two other
coalition soldiers were wounded around 3:45 p.m. yesterday when the
vehicle they were traveling in was struck by a suicide car bomb in Mosul.
The two wounded soldiers were evacuated to a coalition military treatment
facility.

-- A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died around 5:30 p.m.
yesterday after the vehicle he was traveling in was struck by an improvised
explosive device northwest of Baghdad.

-- A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died in a non-combat
incident in southwestern Baghdad around 9 p.m. yesterday.

Officials released no further details, and the names of the deceased
are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Defense officials have released the names of three soldiers who died in
Iraq:

-- Army Sgt. James R. Worster, 24, of Broadview Heights, Ohio, died
from a non-combat related incident Sept. 18 in Baghdad. Worster was
assigned to the 10th Combat Support Hospital, 43rd Area Support Group, Fort
Carson, Colo.

-- Army Spc. Russell M. Makowski, 23, of Union, Mo., died of injuries
suffered in Taji on Sept. 14 when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his dismounted patrol. Makowski was assigned to 4th Battalion,
42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas.

-- Army Pfc. Jeffrey P. Shaffer, 21, of Harrison, Ark., died of
injuries suffered in Ramadi on Sept.13 when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his M2A2 Bradley fighting vehicle. Shaffer was assigned to
2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Bamberg, Germany.
 

Members of a NATO working group met
here yesterday to play video games -- not just for kicks though.

The gathering was part of a serious effort to achieve better
interoperability and standards among the alliance's partners in all aspects of
training, including using video games to train troops before they deploy.
Advanced Distributed Learning, a Defense Department entity tasked with
leading a collaborative effort to harness the power of information
technologies to modernize learning, hosted the gaming portion of the
working group.

"One thing we know about games is that they're very motivating for
learners," said Dr. Robert Wisher, director of the ADL Initiative for the
Office of the Secretary of Defense. "We are looking at what can actually
transfer from the games to an actual military operation."

The vision of the ADL Initiative is to provide access to the
highest-quality learning and performance aiding that can be tailored to
individual needs and delivered cost-effectively, anytime and anywhere, according
to the ADL Web site.

During yesterday's gaming session, the NATO members faced-off against
each other in the game "Battlefield 2," which simulates urban warfare in
a desert nation.

"The games are a good teaching tool," Polish army Maj. Jaroslaw
Bartkowski said. "It's very interesting to play them. In the cyber age, a lot
of people play with them, but we can use them in a positive way for
teaching."

Most of the games used for this purpose are off-the-shelf commercial
products, which the military services sometimes modify to meet their
needs. A few games have, however, been co-developed and funded by the
Defense Department.

"We have some agreements with game companies," Wisher said. "We provide
subject matter experts because it will be closer to what we need for
training, and the game will look more real."

The games have only been used for research and development, thus far.

Tim Tate, director of ADL's job performance technology center, said
young people are increasingly using technology to learn, and DoD aims to
expand its efforts in this area. "Younger people are very enthused about
games," Tate said. "We wanted to make this part of military training."

U.S. enemies will always come up with surprise tactics, but the
ultimate goal of using the games is to save lives by preparing troops for what
they might face and improving their lethality, Tate said. "Experience
saves lives in combat," he said. "And we know lethality in combat is
based on experience."

Games can build confidence in a warfighter because of the
repetitiveness of certain scenarios, Tate added. "If you do something in simulation,
even though it's not real, it builds your confidence," he said.

Mission rehearsal is imperative to proper training, said Daniel E.
Gardner, director of policy and programs for DoD's readiness and training
office. "You can get a sense of what things will look like before you
actually do it," he said.

Another value gained from the games is in cost reduction. "One of the
things to remember is that it's really expensive to do live exercises
all the time," Gardner said. "So in a sense, you can rehearse in virtual
world, and that gives you the opportunity to run through the basics,
talk about the command and control, know who is on your left and right,
and how you're going to communicate with each other.

"The next step would be a live rehearsal," he continued. "It's a
balance of the live, virtual and constructive training environment that is
aimed at achieving the overall capability."

CONTRACTS

NAVY

BAE Systems, Information & Electronic Systems Integration,
Incorporated, Nashua, N.H., is being awarded a $79,537,169 firm-fixed-price,
incentive fee contract for production and support of up to 3,874
Dismounted Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED)
Electronic Warfare (CREW) systems to meet urgent Department of Defense
requirements in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring
Freedom.Dismounted CREW systems are one element of the DoD's Joint Counter
RCIED Electronic Warfare program.Dismounted CREW systems are wearable
electronic jammers designed to prevent the initiation of
Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Devices.This contract is for the urgent
procurement and support of CREW systems, to be used by forces in each of the
military services of the Central Command Area of Responsibility (AOR).The
Navy manages the joint CREW program for Office of the Secretary of
Defense's Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO).Work will be
performed in Christchurch, Dorset, United Kingdom (69 percent);
Lansdale, Penn., (28 percent); Nashua, N.H. (3 percent); and is expected to be
completed by October 2008.Contract funds will not expire at the end of
the current fiscal year.This contract was competitively procured and
based upon a limited competition from five offerors under Unusual and
Compelling urgency provisions.The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington,
D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-06-C-6353).

ARMY

General Dynamics C4 Systems, Taunton, Mass., was awarded on Sept. 21,
2006, a $79,403,375 firm-fixed-price contract for joint network and
battalion command post nodes, baseband trucks, associated spare parts,
training, maintenance, system configuration and network management set-up,
field service representative support, and contractor depot level repair
support.Work will be performed in Taunton, Mass., and is expected to be
completed by Dec. 30, 2007.Contract funds will not expire at the end of
the current fiscal year.This was a sole source contract initiated on
Aug. 30, 2006.The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Fort
Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-06-C-G409).

General Dynamics C4 Systems, Taunton, Mass., was awarded on Sept. 21,
2006, a $32,398,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the Integrated
Theater Signal Battalion.Work will be performed in Taunton, Mass., and is
expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2007.Contract funds will not expire
at the end of the current fiscal year.This was a sole source contract
initiated on Aug. 29, 2006.The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics
Command, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity
(W15P7T-06-C-J003).

GM GDLS Defense Group L.L.C. (Joint Venture), Sterling Heights, Mich.,
was awarded on Sept. 21, 2006, a delivery order amount of $23,651,408
as part of an $88,978,681 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Stryker new
equipment training and fielding support for the Stryker family of
vehicles.Work will be performed in Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. (45 percent),
Fort Wainwright, Alaska (5 percent), Schofield Barracks, Hawaii (35
percent), Vilseck, Germany (10 percent), and Sterling Heights, Mich. (5
percent), and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2007.Contract funds
will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.This was a sole
source contract initiated on March 14, 2006.The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive
and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity
(DAAE07-00-D-M051).

Fort Mifflin Reclamation Associates Inc.*, Kingston, Pa., was awarded
on Sept. 20, 2006, a $21,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for
excavation and off-site disposal of dredging material.Work will be performed in
Philadelphia, Pa., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 30,
2007.Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.There
were an unknown number of bids solicited via the World Wide Web on July
25, 2006, and four bids were received.The U.S. Army Engineer District,
Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (W912BU-06-C-0024).

Remington Arms Company Inc.*, Ilion, N.Y., was awarded on Sept. 20,
2006, an $11,262,275 firm-fixed-price contract for M24 sniper rifles,
spare parts, and modular access rail systems.Work will be performed in
Ilion, N.Y., and is expected to be completed by April 30, 2007.Contract
funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.This was a
sole source contract initiated on May 18, 2006.The U.S. Army
Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting
activity (W52H09-06-C-0152).

PCL Construction Services Inc.*, Denver, Colo., was awarded on Sept.
21, 2006, a delivery order amount of $10,238,800 as part of a
$10,238,800 firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of the West
Gate Force Protection/Access.Work will be performed at Peterson Air Force
Base, Colo., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 9, 2008.Contract
funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.There were
four bids solicited on Aug. 3, 2006, and three bids were received.The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Neb., is the contracting activity
(W9128F-06-D-0017).

AIR FORCE

General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being
awarded a $38,363,450 firm-fixed-price contract.This effort will
definitize delivery order 0009, which included 7 MQ-1 Block 15 aircraft and
the necessary non-recurring engineering to productionize the block 15
configuration.This effort will also procure 15 MQ-1 Block 15 aircraft and
spares.At this time, $49,587,121 has been obligated.This work will be
complete January 2010.Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center,
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting
activity.(FA8620-05-G-3028 000901)

General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being
awarded a $27,565,122 cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification.This
effort will procure four field compatible aircraft maintenance test
station, 2 MD-1A mobile ground control station, 2 MD-1A fixed ground control
station, 5 MD-1B dual control mobile ground control station, and
non-recurring engineering per FY 06 Predator MQ-1 and Reaper MQ-9
requirements.At this time, $20,673,841 has been obligated.Solicitations began in
June 2006 and negotiations were complete September 2006.This work will
be complete September 2008.Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center,
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting
activity.(FA8620-05-G-3028 Delivery Order 0022)

University of Southern California, Department of Contracts and Grants,
Los Angeles, Calif., is being awarded a $13,800,000 cost-plus-fixed fee
contract. This effort is to investigate and develop novel capabilities
for intelligent analysis involving cross-organization query answering
by assembling software and distributed data into end-to-end analysis
processes and by prioritizing and managing their timely executed in
distributed environments to deliver intelligence value and reasonable
response to large numbers of analysts while self-configuring to accept new
components such as algorithms, data, and hardware.At this time, $800,000
has been obligated.This work will be complete September 2010.Air Force
Research Laboratory, Rome, N.Y., is the contracting
activity.(FA8750-06-C-0210)

General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being
awarded a $15,795,532 firm-fixed-price contract modification.This
effort will procure 18 ground data terminal, 1 ground support equipment, 2
remote split operation kits, 1 replenishment spares package kits, 1
initial spares packages, and 2 primary predator sitcom link modem assembly
per FY06 predator MQ-1 and reaper MQ-9 requirements. At this time,
$11,846,649 has been obligated.Solicitations began in June 2006 and
negotiations were complete September 2006.This work will be complete June
2010.Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.(FA8620-05-G-3028 Delivery Order
0010)

Boeing Co., St Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $11,350,492
firm-fixed-price contract.This action provides for E-3 wing flaps, which are used
on the main flap section of the aircraft with three rigidly installed
fore-flaps, flour flaps carriage assemblies and two actuator screw nuts
support fitting.The flap assembly and its installed carriage assemblies
constitute a matched set.It assists in take-off and landings. At this
time, no funds have been obligated.This work will be complete February
2009.Headquarters Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker Air Force
Base, Okla., is the contracting activity.(FA8103-06-C-0284)

Rini Technologies, Oviedo, Fla., is being awarded a $9,900,000
indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, cost-plus-fixed fee contract. This
research effort will focus on maturing innovative two-phase thermal
management technologies to support high heat flux sources for directed
energy and power electronics applications.For these applications, several
technical challenges must be addressed including acquiring large heat
loads from high flux sources, reliable system operation in rigorous
aerospace environments, minimizing temperature gradients on the cooled
surface, developing control systems to maintain isothermality, and heat
rejection in an environment where the availability of traditional heat sinks
is limited.The overarching goal of this program is to develop,
demonstrate, and mature efficient two-phase thermal management systems to a
point where they can be transitioned into Air Force weapon systems.At this
time, $979,630 has been obligated.Solicitations began in June
2006 and negotiations were complete September 2006.This work will be
complete September 2013.Air Force Research Laboratories, Wright-Patterson
Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.(FA8650-06-D-2620)

L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, Madison, Miss., is being awarded a
$9,314,884 firm-fixed-price & contract reimbursable contract
modification.This action provides electronic flight instrument systems
production installation for five C-12 C/D aircraft.At this time, total funds
have been obligated.This work will be complete June 2008.Headquarters
Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the
contracting activity.(F34601-00-C-0111/P00287)

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Rolling Meadows, Ill., is being
awarded a $5,734,995 cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification. The
contractor shall provide and deliver seven Guardian Pointer Tracker Assembly
(GPTA) units to support installations on the C-40 in January 2008.The
undefinitized contract action (P00005) was placed on contract on 20 June
2006 to have GPTAs available to support installations on the C-40 in May
2007 and the chief of staff test tanker two test aircraft by (P00005)
UCA is also being relied upon for this supplemental UCA and included
option pricing to acquire up to eight additional Guardian Laser Tractor
System (GLTS) as necessary to support other contemplated
installations.Due to the continued delays in GLTA qualification testing, procurement of
seven more GLTS is required to meet the C-40 installation schedule for
eh second and third C-40B.At this time, $2,867,497 has been
obligated.This work will be complete December 2008.Headquarters
Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is
the contracting activity.(FA8625-05-6459/P00006)

* Small Business

Navy Aviator Missing In Action From Vietnam War is Identifies

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO)
announced yesterday that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is Lt. Cmdr. James E. Plowman, U.S. Navy, of Pebble Beach, Calif.
He was buried yesterday at Arlington National Cemetery near ashington
D.C.

On March 24, 1967, Plowman and a fellow officer departed the USS Kitty
Hawk in their A-6A Intruder on a night strike mission of an enemy
target in North Vietnam. Radar contact with their aircraft was lost over the
Ha Bac Province as they were departing the target area. A pilot from
another aircraft reported two missile warnings on his radar screen
immediately before contact was lost with Plowman's aircraft.

Between 1993 and 1996, joint U.S.-Socialist Republic of Vietnam
(S.R.V.) teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), conducted
three investigations in the province. The team interviewed two local
villagers who saw the 1967 crash, and both men recalled seeing human
remains at the site. The team also surveyed the purported crash site and
found several small fragments of aircraft wreckage.

In 1996, another joint U.S./S.R.V. team excavated the suspected crash
site. The team found human remains from amid the scattered wreckage.
The team was also handed some remains by a local villager who claimed to
have recovered it while scavenging the crater for metal.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence,
scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory
also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of the remains.

Military and defense leaders, former
prisoners of war and families of missing servicemembers gathered here today
to commemorate National POW/MIA Recognition Day and to reaffirm their
commitment to ensuring a full accounting of those missing in action.

Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called
today's observance an opportunity to honor the more than 30,000 living
former prisoners of war in the United States and those still missing.

"For those of us in uniform, they are quite simply our heroes, because
they have been called upon to sacrifice for this country in a way that
very few have ever been called upon," Pace said during a ceremony on
the Pentagon's parade field. "And they have performed their duties in a
way that each of us who has the privilege of serving today can only hope
that we would perform ours if put in the same circumstance."

Today's troops take courage from your example, Pace told the former
POWs, as a sea of flags carried by a joint color guard waved behind him.
"You have given to us a legacy that we want to cherish and take
forward," he said. "And we certainly rededicate ourselves today to try to serve
this country as well as each of you has."

Pace also honored families of servicemembers still missing and vowed to
press forward to ensure their loved ones are accounted for. "There is
no more sacred duty for the county than to account for and to repatriate
those who are missing," he said.

The families of the missing service the country every day "in a way
that we can't even imagine," the chairman said. He expressed hope that
knowing the nation is pausing today to rededicate itself to accounting for
their loved ones helps ease their pain.

"It is my honor, for all of us in uniform to rededicate to you today
our service to our country in a way to emulate and take forward what your
loved ones have already done," he said.

Deputy Secretary Gordon England echoed Pace's sentiment, thanking the
former POWs for their sacrifice and reaffirming the national commitment
to accounting for its missing troops. "America does not forget her
heroes," he said.

The deputy secretary repeated President Bush's pledge that the country
"must not rest until we have accounted for every soldier, sailor,
airmen, Coast Guardsman and Marine."

U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons of Connecticut, a member of the Armed Services
Committee, Vietnam veteran and champion of POW/MIA issues, told the
gathering it's "part of our national character that we do not abandon those
who have been lost in defense of America."

"Although they have been lost for a time, they have not been forgotten,
and they will never be forgotten," Simmons said. "And we will find them
and bring them home. ... We will not rest until they have all been
accounted for and returned to the nation and to the families for whom they
sacrificed."

As Simmons concluded his remarks, four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters
flew overhead in formation, flying off toward nearby Arlington National
Cemetery.

Former POWs at the ceremony said they felt honored to represent others
who could not attend and to hear their leaders reaffirm their
commitment to bring all missing servicemembers home.

Retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. William A. Tippins, 81, a prisoner
of war in Germany from 1942 to 1944, came to the ceremony in his black
World War II-era uniform. "I always come," Tippins said. "I feel I owe
it to my buddies."

Former World War II POW Robert J. VanHouten, a soldier held for four
months in Germany in 1945, called it important to remember what he and
his fellow POWs endured and to commit to those still missing.

Former Army Cpl. Bill Stevens, a POW for 31 months during the Korean
War, said he felt moved by today's ceremony and the commitment expressed
to account for all MIAs. "I don't think we can ever forget," he said.
"It's important to bring them back, especially for their families."

Ted Shpak, who served in the Army in Vietnam, was among members of
Rolling Thunder, an organization committed to POW/MIA issues, who attended
today's ceremony. "We're just not supposed to leave people behind," he
said. "Accountability is very important -- especially now, when a war
is going on."

CONTRACTS

AIR FORCE

United Technologies Corp., Hartford, Conn., is being awarded a
$455,103,253 firm-fixed-price & cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification.
This action provides for F-22/F119 engine (48) Lot 6 production and
CY06 field support and training. At this time, $53,610,547 have been
obligated. Solicitations began July 2005 and negotiations were complete
September 2006. This work will be complete December 2006. PA POC is Capt.
Everdeen, (937) 255-1256. Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center,
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity
(FA8611-05-C-2851/P00010).

Northrop Grumman Information Technology Inc., Azusa, Calif is being
awarded a $39,192,043 cost-plus-award fee contract modification to provide
for a one-year extension (1 Oct. 2006 to 30 Sept. 2007) to the defense
support program (DSP), sensor post production support contract. The
requirement consists of the following: storage and storage support of the
DSP satellites in accordance with satellite environmental requirements,
annual testing of stored satellites, trend analysis, integration
returns (repair and return failed/obsolete components), perform safety
analysis, load analysis, maintain all launch site safety requirements,
perform multiple readiness reviews and rehearsals, test and prepare
satellites for launch site, perform launch vehicle integration, perform multiple
integrated systems test, sustaining engineering of the on-orbit
satellites (multiple block build), early on orbit testing support for newly
launched satellites, anomaly resolution and flight operations
support for DSP constellation, operational performance analysis for
performance assessment, mission performance improvement, including
recommendation for retrofitting satellites in storage. At this time, no funds
have been obligated. This work will be complete September 2007.
Headquarters Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base,
Calif., is the contracting activity (F04701-96-C-0031/P00180).

NAVY

Phoenix International, Inc., Landover, Md., is being awarded a
potential $125,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-award
fee contract, for engineering and technical services, equipment,
material, ships/vessels and/or systems to assist the director of Ocean
Engineering, supervisor of Salvage and Diving, in the conduct of worldwide
rapid response undersea search, salvage, recovery and rescue operations.
The primary purpose of this contract is to provide for the operation
and maintenance of Navy-owned undersea search and recovery equipment.
Work will be performed in Landover, Md., and is expected to be completed
by September 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $50,000, will expire
at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively
procured and advertised on the Internet, with one proposal received. The
Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting
activity (N00024-06-D-4104).

McDonnell Douglas, St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded $76,014,153 for
three firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity orders
(#7001, #7002, #7003) under a basic ordering agreement contract
(N00383-06-D-004H-7000) for procurement of newly manufactured spares in support
of the F/A-18 C/D flight surfaces system. Work will be performed in St.
Louis, Mo., and is expected to be completed by July 2011. Contract
funds will not expire by the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval
Inventory Control Point is the contracting activity.

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., is being
awarded a $49,303,908 modification to a previously awarded
indefinite-delivery requirements contract (N00019-04-D-0131) to exercise an option for
contractor logistics support services for T-2, T-39, and H-3 aircraft.
Work will be performed in Pensacola, Fla. (99 percent) and Corpus
Christi, Texas (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in September
2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting
activity.

Roy Anderson Corp., Gulfport, Miss., is being awarded a $42,540,000
firm-fixed price two-phased design-build construction contract for the
design and construction of the Ocean Science Laboratory Complex at Stennis
Space Center. Work will be performed in Bay St. Louis, Miss., and is
expected to be completed by September 2008. Contract funds will not
expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was
competitively procured as a two-phase design build via the Naval Facilities
Engineering Command e-solicitation website with six offers received in Phase
I, five selected to proceed to Phase II, and three offerors submitted
Phase II proposals. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast,
Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (N62467-06-C-0092).

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., is being
awarded a $37,704,693 modification to a previously awarded
indefinite-delivery requirements contract (N00019-05-D-0023) to exercise an option for
logistics support for TH-57B/TH-57C aircraft. Work will be performed in
Whiting Field, Fla. (99 percent) and Patuxent River, Md. (1 percent),
and is expected to be completed in September 2007. Contract funds will
not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems
Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Watts Constructors, LLC, Honolulu, Hawaii, , is being awarded a
$35,900,000 firm-fixed-price contract to replace typhoon damaged homes at
North Tipalao, Phases I and II, Commander, Naval Marianas, Marianas
Islands, Guam. The contract contains one option, which if exercised, would
bring the total cumulative value to $78,580,000. Work will be performed in
Guam and is expected to be completed by September 2008. Contract funds
will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract
was competitively procured with 12 proposals solicited and two offers
received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-06-C-1308).

Trandes Corp.,* Lanham, Md., is being awarded a $29,435,757
indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for
technical and engineering services and materials that are essential to the
performance of the in-service engineering agent and cognizant field
activity responsibilities for a range of command and control, communications,
computers and intelligence (C4I) systems, guided-missile weapons
systems, airspace systems and combat weapons systems, associated components
and peripherals. This contract includes two, one-year options which, if
exercised, would bring the potential cumulative value of this contract
to $49,685,634. Work will be performed at Space and Naval Warfare
Systems Center San Diego facilities and selected outlying sites (90
percent), and at the contractor's facilities in Lanham, Md. (10 percent), and
is expected to be completed September 2009. Contract funds will not
expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was
competitively procured with 18 proposals solicited and two offers
received via the Commerce Business Daily's Federal Business Opportunities
Website, and the SPAWAR e-Commerce Central Website. The Space and Naval
Warfare Systems Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity
(N66001-06-D-0024).

W. M. Schlosser Co., Inc., Hyattsville, Md., is being awarded a
$20,695,000 firm-fixed price contract for construction of a V-22 Osprey
aircraft gearbox repair and test facility and a prop rotor blade repair
facility at Naval Aviation Depot, Cherry Point. The contract contains four
options which if exercised, would bring the total cumulative value of
the contract to $23,760,000. Work will be performed in Cherry Point,
N.C., and is expected to be completed by October 2008. Contract funds will
not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was
competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command
e-solicitation website with one offer received. The Naval Facilities
Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity
(N40085-06-C-4042).

Bell-Boeing Joint Program Office, Patuxent River, Md., is being awarded
a $15,153,708 delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering
agreement (N68335-04-G-0006) for 156 operational test program sets
(OTPS) for Lot I (96), Lot II (42), and OTPS 14 (18) to support the V-22
aircraft. This includes manufacturing, testing, acceptance testing,
technical evaluation, and on-site verfication (OSV) to result in the
successful site standup at a total of six different sites. Work will be
performed in Philadelphia, Pa. (60 percent) and Ft. Worth, Texas (40
percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2009. Contract funds
will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air
Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting
activity.

EDAW, Inc., Alexandria, Va., is being awarded a not to exceed
$15,000,000 firm-fixed price, indefinite-quantity contract for architect
engineering services for professional planning and engineering services. Work
will be performed at various naval installations within the Naval
Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), Atlantic area of responsibility and
worldwide. Although the professional planning and engineering services
will be worldwide, the majority of the work under this contract is
expected to be in the continental U.S. Work is expected to be completed
September 2007. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current
fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the NAVFAC
e-solicitation website with 13 offers received. The Naval Facilities
Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity
(N62470-06-D-7118).

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded September
15, 2006, $13,127,800 for ceiling priced order #0199 under previously
awarded contract (N00383-03-G-001B) for spare components for the V-22
aircraft. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to
be completed by December 2008. Contract funds will not expire by the
end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not awarded
competitively. The Naval Inventory Control Point is the contracting activity.

Kellogg Brown & Root Services, Arlington, Va., is being awarded
$13,060,000 for firm-fixed price Task Order 0027 under a previously
awarded cost reimbursement, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity
emergency construction capabilities contract (N62470-04-D-4017) for design and
construction of modular child development centers at Naval Air Station,
Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth; Naval Technical Training Center, Corry
Station; and Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport. Work will be
performed in Fort Worth, Texas (40 percent); Pensacola, Fla. (30 percent);
and Gulfport, Miss. (30 percent); and is expected to be completed by
April 2007. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal
year. The basic contract was competitively procured with 59 proposals
solicited, three offers received and award made on July 26, 2004. The
total contract amount is not to exceed $500,000,000, which includes the
base period and four option years. The Naval Facilities Engineering
Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.

Raytheon Co. Space and Airborne Systems, El Segundo, Calif., is being
awarded a $10,996,206 delivery order against a previously issued basic
ordering agreement (N00019-05-G-0008) for system test equipment (STE)
for the AN/APG-79 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for
the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft. The STE will be used to test radar
modules returned for repair to determine root cause of failures and to
return the radars to the Fleet in a ready for issue status. Work will be
performed in El Segundo, Calif., and is expected to be completed in
September 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $6,453,182 will expire at
the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command,
Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Logis-Tech, Inc.*, Manassas, Va., is being awarded a not-to-exceed
$10,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for a phase
III Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program contract for Topic
N90-085 entitled "Aircraft and Engine Preservation Techniques." The
contract provides for all plant, labor, equipment, materials and
incidental construction necessary to provide turn-key controlled humidity
preservation program application to include a total package fielding hand-off
and contractor logistics support. Work will be performed at various
Navy and Marine Corps installations (99.8 percent) and the Marine Corps
Logistics Base, Albany, Ga. (.2 percent), and is expected to be completed
in September 2008. Contract funds in the amount of $20,592 will expire
at the end of the current fiscal year. The Phase I effort was
competitively procured using SBIR Program Solicitation under Topic N90-085 and
340 offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft
Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity
(N68335-06-D-0021).

DRS Radian Inc., Alexandria, Va., was awarded on September 15, 2006, a
$6,003,200 firm-fixed-priced, definite-delivery/definite-quantity
contract for the manufacture of 512 field deployable environmental control
units, which are used to cool various in-theater Navy structures. Work
will be performed by Keco Industries, Inc., Florence, Ky., and is
expected to be completed in December 2007. Contract funds will not expire
before the end of the current fiscal year. One company was solicited for
this non-competitive requirement and one offer was received in response
to the solicitation. The Naval Inventory Control Point in
Mechanicsburg, Pa., is the contracting activity (N00104-06-F-CA34).

Peter Vander Werff Construction, Inc.*, El Cajon, Calif., is being
awarded $5,952,800 for firm-fixed-price Task Order 0017 under a previously
awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award
construction contract (N68711-02-D-8058) for replacement of the heating,
ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, Building 7515, at Marine
Corps Air Station, Miramar. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif.,
and is expected to be completed by July 2008. Contract funds will expire
at the end of the current fiscal year. The basic contract was
competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command
e-solicitation website with 10 proposals received and award made on June 28, 2002.
The total contract amount is not to exceed $150,000,000, which includes
the base period and four option years. The multiple contractors (six in
number) may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of
the existing contract. Four proposals were received for this
task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San
Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

KOO Construction, Inc.*, Sacramento, Calif., is being awarded
$5,400,000 for firm-fixed-price Task Order 0002 under an
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract
(N68711-03-D-7036) for construction and repair of administration areas and restrooms in
Warehouses at Yermo Annex, Marine Corps Logistics Base, Barstow. Work
will be performed in Barstow, Calif., and is expected to be completed by
October 2007. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current
fiscal year. The basic contract was competitively procured as a 100 percent
8(a) set aside via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command
e-solicitation website with 35 proposals received and award made on July 1, 2003.
The total contract amount is not to exceed $30,000,000 (base period and
four option years). The multiple contractors (nine in number) may
compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the existing
contract. Two proposals were received for this task order. The
Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is
the contracting activity.

ARMY

Functional Genetics Inc.*, Rockville, Md., was awarded on Aug. 16,
2006, a $28,041,647 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for generation of novel
broad spectrum anti-viral compounds against hemorrhagic fever viruses.
Work will be performed in Rockville, Md. (75 percent), Frederick, Md. (8
percent), and Evolva, Switzerland (17 percent), and is expected to be
completed by Aug. 15, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of
the current fiscal year. There were an unknown number of bids solicited
via the World Wide Web on Oct. 31, 2005, and 130 bids were received.
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the
contracting activity (HDTRA1-06-C-0035).

United Construction, Reno, Nev., was awarded on Sept. 16, 2006, a
$14,232,204 firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of an Air
Intelligence Facility. Work will be performed in Reno, Nev., and is
expected to be completed by March 31, 2008. Contract funds will not expire
at the end of the current fiscal year. There were an unknown number of
bids solicited via the World Wide Web on Jan. 25, 2006, and four bids
were received. The National Guard Bureau, Carson City, Nev., is the
contracting activity (W9124X-06-C-0003).

Functional Genetics Inc.*, Rockville, Md., was awarded on Aug. 16,
2006, a $12,953,396 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for development of broad
spectrum host oriented therapeutic antibodies for hemorrhagic fever
viruses. Work will be performed in Rockville, Md. (98 percent), and
Frederick, Md. (2 percent), and is expected to be completed by Aug. 15, 2009.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
There were an unknown number of bids solicited via the World Wide Web on
Oct. 31, 2005, and 130 bids were received. The Defense Threat Reduction
Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity
(HDTRA1-06-C-0034).

General Dynamics C4 Systems, Scottsdale, Ariz., was awarded on Sept.
19, 2006, a $12,167,947 increment as part of a $76,401,035
cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for a research and development engineering change
proposal for the Prophet Block III Spiral 2 Electronic Support. Work will
be performed in Scottsdale, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by
Aug. 31, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current
fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on Aug. 31,
2006. The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Fort Monmouth,
N.J., is the contracting activity (DAAB07-03-C-L426).

Bear Brothers Inc.*, Montgomery, Ala., was awarded on Sept. 19, 2006, a
$10,186,500 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a composite
operations and training facility. Work will be performed in Montgomery,
Ala., and is expected to be completed by May 1, 2008. Contract funds
will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were an
unknown number of bids solicited via the World Wide Web on May 19, 2006,
and four bids were received. The U.S. Property Fiscal Office, Montgomery,
Ala., is the contracting activity (W912JA-06-C-0003).

Alliant Ammunition and Powder Co. L.L.C., Radford, Va., was awarded on
Sept. 18, 2006, a $9,000,000 modification to a firm-fixed-price
contract for a modernization effort at Radford Army Ammunition Plant. Work
will be performed in Radford, Va., and is expected to be completed by June
30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current
fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on Aug. 30, 2004.
The U.S. Army Field Support Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the
contracting activity (DAAA09-03-E-0001).

Raytheon Co., Andover, Mass., was awarded on Sept. 19, 2006, an
$8,156,664 modification to a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for FY06 PATRIOT
Engineering Services. Work will be performed in Burlington, Mass. (3.4
percent), Huntsville, Ala. (8.79 percent), Andover, Mass. (9.65 percent),
Tewksbury, Mass. (76.64 percent), El Paso, Texas (1.47 percent), and
Norfolk, Va. (0.04 percent), and is expected to be completed by Jan. 9,
2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal
year. This was a sole source contract initiated on Aug. 26, 2003. The
U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the
contracting activity (W31P4Q-04-C-0020).

BAE Systems/Ordnance Systems Inc., Kingsport, Tenn., was awarded on
Sept. 18, 2006, a delivery order amount of $7,020,214 as part of a
$49,068,265 firm-fixed-price contract for production and supply of Composition
C-4, Class 3 (Tagged) Explosives to support the M112 Demo Block Program
and the M183 Charge Assembly Demolition Program. Work will be performed
in Kingsport, Tenn., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2007.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
This was a sole source contract initiated on July 20, 2006. The U.S.
Army Sustainment Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity
(DAAA09-03-D-0007).

Weeks Marine Inc., Covington, La., was awarded on Sept. 19, 2006, a
$6,933,000 firm-fixed-price contract for new deep draft pipeline dredging
at Barbours Cut, hydraulic placement of material along the inside of
the existing levee at Spillman Island, and new levee construction. Work
will be performed in Harris, Texas, and is expected to be completed by
Dec. 31, 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current
fiscal year. There were an unknown number of bids solicited on Jun 27,
2006, and two bids were received. The U.S. Army Engineer District,
Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W912HY-06-C-0041).

Weeks Marine Inc., Covington, La., was awarded on Sept. 18, 2006, a
$5,799,645 firm-fixed-price contract for Beachfill. Work will be performed
in Long Beach Island, Surf City, Ship Bottom, and Harvey Cedars, N.J.,
and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2007. Contract funds will
not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were 31 bids
solicited on July 21, 2006, and two bids were received. The U.S. Army
Engineer District, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity
(W912BU-06-C-0018).

American Engineering and Manufacturing Inc.*, Lorain, Ohio, was awarded
on Sept. 19, 2006, a $5,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for
fabrication, installation, and testing pilot process development systems
support using advanced titanium processing methods. Work will be performed
in Lorain, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 18, 2007.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This
was a sole source contract initiated on April 7, 2006. The U.S. Army
Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., is the
contracting activity (W15QKN-06-C-0217).

* Small Business

 DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Russell M. Makowski, 23, of Union, Mo., died of injuries suffered
in Taji, Iraq, on Sept. 14 when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his dismounted patrol during combat operations. Makowski was
assigned to the 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade,
4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. James R. Worster, 24, of Broadview Heights, Ohio, died from a
non-combat related incident on Sept. 18 in Baghdad, Iraq. Worster was
assigned to the 10th Combat Support Hospital, 43rd Area Support Group, Fort
Carson, Colo.

 DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pfc. Jeffrey P. Shaffer, 21, of Harrison, Ark., died of injuries
sustained in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on Sept.13 when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle during combat
operations. Shaffer was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment,
1st Armored Division, Bamberg, Germany.

A soldier assigned to Task Force 3rd
Medical Command died yesterday in Baghdad from non-battle-related injuries, and the Defense Department has identified 10 earlier casualties.

The name of the 3rd Medical Command soldier, who was part of the
medical task force that provides care throughout Iraq, is being withheld
pending notification of next of kin.

Defense officials have released the identities of 10 servicemembers who
died recently supporting the global war on terror:

-- Army Sgt. David J. Davis, 32, of Mount Airy, Md., died in Baghdad
Sept. 17 of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his Stryker armored vehicle in Sadr City, Iraq. Davis was
assigned to the Army's 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker
Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

-- Army Sgt. Adam L. Knox, 21, of Columbus, Ohio, died Sept. 17 in
Baghdad of injuries suffered when his patrol encountered enemy forces using
small-arms fire. Knox was assigned to the Army Reserve's 346th
Psychological Operations Company, Columbus, Ohio.

-- Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class David S. Roddy, 32, of Aberdeen, Md.,
died Sept. 16 while his unit was conducting combat operations against
enemy forces in Iraq's Anbar province. Roddy was assigned to Explosive
Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 2, in Norfolk, Va., and was serving with
Multinational Corps Iraq.

-- Army Sgt. 1st Class Bernard L. Deghand, 42, of Mayetta, Kan., died
Sept. 15 in Spira, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when his unit
encountered enemy forces using small-arms fire and rocket-propelled
grenades. Deghand was assigned to the Army National Guard's 35th Division
Artillery, Hutchinson, Kan.

-- Army Sgt. Clint E. Williams, 24, of Kingston, Okla., died Sept. 14
of injuries suffered in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his vehicle. Williams was assigned to 1st Squadron, 10th
Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

-- Marine Lance Cpl. Ryan A. Miller, 19, of Pearland, Texas, died Sept.
14 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar
province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd
Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

-- Army Sgt. David T. Weir, 23, of Cleveland, Tenn., died Sept. 14 in
Baghdad of injuries suffered Sept. 13 when he encountered enemy forces
using rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. Weir was assigned
to the 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team,
101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

-- Army 2nd Lt. Emily J.T. Perez, 23, of Texas, died Sept. 12 of
injuries suffered in Kifl, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device
detonated near her Humvee. Perez was assigned to the 204th Support Battalion,
2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

-- Army Spc. Harley D. Andrews, 22, of Weimar, Calif., died Sept. 11 in
Ramadi, Iraq, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his vehicle. Andrews was assigned to 54th Engineer
Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, Warner Barracks, Bamberg, Germany.

-- Army Spc. David J. Ramsey, 27, of Tacoma, Wash., was medically
evacuated from Iraq on Aug. 24 after a non-combat-related incident and died
on Sept. 7 in Spanaway, Wash. Ramsey was assigned to the 47th Combat
Support Hospital, 62nd Medical Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.

 DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Adam L. Knox, 21, of Columbus, Ohio, died on Sept. 17 in Baghdad,
Iraq, of injuries suffered when his patrol encountered enemy forces
using small arms fire during combat operations. Knox was assigned to the
Army Reserve 346th Psychological Operations Company, Columbus, Ohio.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. David J. Davis, 32, of Mount Airy, Md., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on
Sept.17, of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Stryker Armored Vehicle during combat operations in Sadr City, Iraq. Davis was assigned to the Army's 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

DoD Identifies Navy Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Petty Officer 2nd Class David S. Roddy, 32, of Aberdeen, Miss., died
Sept. 16 while his unit was conducting combat operations against enemy
forces in the Al Anbar province, Iraq.

Roddy was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Two in Norfolk, Va., and was serving with Multi-National Corps - Iraq.
 

 DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. 1st Class Bernard L. Deghand, 42, of Mayetta, Kan., died on Sept.
15 in Spira, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when his unit encountered enemy forces using small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire
during combat operations. Deghand was assigned to the Army National guard 35th Division Artillery, Hutchinson, Kan.

DoD Identifies Navy Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Petty Officer 2nd Class David S. Roddy, 32, of Aberdeen, Miss., died
Sept. 16 while his unit was conducting combat operations against enemy
forces in the Al Anbar province, Iraq.

Walsh was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Two in
Norfolk, Va., and was serving with Multi-National Corps - Iraq.

 DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Clint E.Williams, 24, of Kingston, Okla., died on Sept. 14 of
injuries suffered in Baghdad, Iraq when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his vehicle during combat operations.

Williams was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd
Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Much has been made in recent days of an
aerial photograph taken in Afghanistan that reportedly shows hundreds of
Taliban fighters attending a funeral and the decision to refrain from
wiping out the gathering militarily.

At a Pentagon news conference today, the commander of coalition forces
in Afghanistan said the rules of engagement provide all the flexibility
needed to take the fight to the enemy and to protect coalition forces,
but the decision in this case was not as simple as it might appear to
be.

Army Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry said the intelligence available to the
coalition commander on the ground did, indeed, support the belief that
the gathering was for the funeral of a mid-level Taliban operative. "It
was also reasonable to believe that, as he looked down at that
photograph or looked down at the video, that a number of the people that were
standing there at that funeral were Taliban fighters," the general added.

But it's what the picture didn't show that ultimately led to the
decision not to strike, Eikenberry said. Just outside the frame, he said, was
an Afghan village.

"And it also was reasonable for the commander to conclude from that
village that there were probably innocents -- maybe sympathetic to
Taliban, but innocents, noncombatants -- that had moved to participate in that
funeral," the general said. And the photo couldn't rule out the
possible presence of women and children, he added.

"So that commander made a decision, based upon our values as a people,
based upon our values as a nation, that he would not strike,"
Eikenberry said.

The general noted that the enemy has no such values.

"I would point out to everybody that (the coalition commander's
decision not to strike the funeral gathering) stands in very sharp contrast to
an enemy that will kill religious leaders wantonly, that will kill
teachers in order to intimidate parents to keep their children out of
school houses, that will -- as they proved themselves last week -- throw a
suicide-bomber at a patriotic governor of Afghanistan who came from his
home in Australia to serve his nation. That's what distinguishes us
from the enemy," he said.

"And with regard to our commanders' decisions, our commanders make
decisions like this in the field every day, and I have complete confidence
in my commanders that they always make the decision for the right --
for the right reasons and in the right way," he added.

Navy Christens Littoral Combat Ship Freedom The U.S. Navy will christen Freedom, the first littoral combat ship (LCS) at 10 a.m. EDT on Saturday, Sept. 23, during a ceremony at Marinette Marine Corp. in Marinette, Wis.

 The future USS Freedom acknowledges the enduring foundation of our nation and honors American communities from coast to coast which bear the name Freedom. States having towns named Freedom include California, Indiana, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The 378-foot Freedom will be the first U.S. Navy ship to carry this class designation. Birgit Smith will serve as ship's sponsor. She is the widow of Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith, who was killed in action in Operation Iraqi Freedom and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The ceremony will be highlighted by Smith breaking a bottle of champagne across the bow to formally christen the ship, which is a time-honored Navy tradition. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen will deliver the principal address at the ceremony. A fast, agile, and high-technology surface combatant, Freedom will act as a platform for launch and recovery of manned and unmanned vehicles. Its modular design will support interchangeable mission packages, allowing the ship to be reconfigured for antisubmarine warfare, mine warfare, or surface warfare missions on an as-needed basis. The LCS will be able to swap out mission packages pierside in a matter of hours, adapting as the tactical situation demands. These ships will also feature advanced networking capability to share tactical information with other Navy aircraft, ships, submarines and joint units. Freedom is the first of two LCS seaframes being produced. Freedom is an innovative combatant designed to operate quickly in shallow water environments to counter challenging threats in coastal regions, specifically mines, submarines and fast surface craft. The LCS is capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots and can operate in water less than 20 feet deep. Freedom will be manned by one of two rotational crews, blue and gold, similar to the rotational crews assigned to Trident submarines. The crews will be augmented by one of three mission package crews during focused mission assignments. The blue crew commanding officer is Cmdr. Donald Gabrielson, who was born in northern Minnesota and graduated from the U.S. Navy Academy in 1989. The gold crew commanding officer is Cmdr. Michael Doran, who was born in Harrisonville, Mo., and graduated from Villanova University in 1989. Upon the ship's commissioning in 2007, Freedom will be homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif. In May 2004, the Department of Defense awarded both Lockheed Martin Corp., Maritime Systems & Sensors in Moorestown, N.J., and General Dynamics - Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, separate contract options for final system design, with options for detail design and construction of up to two flight 0 LCS ships. In December 2004, the Navy awarded Lockheed Martin Corp. the contract for detail design and construction of the first LCS. Lockheed Martin's teammates include Gibbs & Cox in Arlington, Va.; Marinette Marine Corp. in Marinette, Wis., where the ship is being built; and Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, La.

The hot dog stand in the Pentagon's center courtyard, which has long been a source of Cold War intrigue, will be torn down in the coming months and replaced with a new eating facility.

"Rumor has it that during the Cold War the Russians never had any less than two missiles aimed at this hot dog stand," Brett Eaton, an information and communications officer for Washington Headquarters Services, said while standing in front of the building. "They thought this was the Pentagon's most top secret meeting room, and the entire Pentagon was a large fortress built around this hot dog stand." Reportedly, by using satellite imagery, the Soviets could see groups of U.S. military officers entering and exiting the hot dog stand at about the same time every day. They concluded that the stand was the entrance to an underground bunker. "They (Soviets) thought the officers were going to get their top secret briefings in a protected area, but really they were just going to get lunch," Eaton said with a chuckle. The legend surrounding the hot dog stand is even spun by official Pentagon tour guides during public tours of the building. "It's rumored that a portion of their (Soviet) nuclear arsenal was directed at that building, the Pentagon hot dog stand," tour guides tell visitors as they pass the stand. "This is where the building earned the nickname Cafe Ground Zero, the deadliest hot dog stand in the world." To Eaton's knowledge, this tale has never been officially substantiated by Russian officials. The Pentagon was declared a national historic landmark in 1992, and because the courtyard is one of the five historically protected features of the building, the hot dog stand must be replaced by a building of roughly the same size, and exactly the same shape as the Pentagon, Eaton said. "In general, the design will kind of replicate what we have here right now, but it's going to be much more modern and a lot bigger. It will really give us an efficient food service delivery system for the Pentagon," said David Gabel, the renovation program manager for Pentagon renovation and construction. The new building will cost about $1.2 million to complete, he said. In addition, the wooden owl atop the current hot dog stand to ward off birds must be preserved and placed on the new structure. The new building will be the third permanent eatery on the spot. "This one was put up in the late 1980s," said Jeff Keppler, business manager for the Pentagon concession committee. The current facility has not been used for a few years. Serving in its place was a sandwich and pizza seller that operated out of a trailer next to the building. The new eating facility will have indoor seating for about 50 people and will offer catering services. It is tentatively scheduled to open next September. "I'm really looking forward to the new building," Keppler said. "It's going to be great for the population of the Pentagon to have a year-round facility that will have indoor seating, restrooms, with breakfast and lunch available Monday through Friday." The Soviet Union is a thing of the past, but the hot dog lives on in America.

 Two Chinese military ships are wrapping up
a three-day port visit at Naval Base San Diego today.

The port visit by the ships Qingdao and Hongzehu, which began Sept. 18,
provides an opportunity to enhance cooperation between the Chinese and
U.S. navies, foster mutual understanding, and further develop lines of
communication, Navy officials said.

"With this visit, China and the United States have an important
opportunity to develop and build through our sailors' relationships for
cooperation in maintaining a peaceful and stable region," said Rear Adm. Len
Hering, commander of Navy Region Southwest. Hering officially welcomed
the Chinese sailors to San Diego. "This is a longstanding role that
navies play, and we are very proud to be a part of this process," he said.

The Chinese navy presented a similar tone with banners displayed on the
side of Qingdao with the words "Deepen Mutual Benefit Cooperation.
Advance Development Together" written in both Chinese and English.

"We are proud to welcome our fellow sailors from China," Capt. Dickson
Smith, commander of Naval Base San Diego, said. "We truly hope that
during their three-day visit, they can experience the warm and friendly
atmosphere of the city of San Diego."

Among the Chinese-American groups to greet the ships were
representatives from the American Chinese Culture Association, the San Diego Chinese
Association and the Golden Dragon Chinese Kung-fu Club. "We are so
excited to have them here," said Aoni Ma, a member of the Golden Dragon
Chinese Kung-fu Club. "It is like our family has sailed many miles to see
us, and we are overjoyed to be here on the pier to greet them."

Navy Band Southwest, the Chinese navy band and Chinese lion dancers
provided entertainment while the ships were being moored.

"We are two different countries and we have different customs, but it
is great we could come together like this not only as sailors, but as
people," Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony Seaman said. "I hope that
everyone comes away with a deeper appreciation for each other."

Other events planned for the visit include ship tours, a morale,
welfare and recreation tour, and sporting events. Following the port visit,
the ships will conduct part one of a bilateral search-and-rescue
exercise, a routine training mission that will involve practicing procedures
for locating and saving distressed vessels and personnel.

"My sailors and I are happy to be here," said Chinese navy Rear Adm.
Wang Fushan, deputy commander of the North Sea Fleet. "We have seen your
professionalism, and it gives us great pleasure to be in San Diego. We
were honored to receive this invitation from the United States."

(Navy Seaman Damien E. Horvath is assigned to Fleet Public Affairs
Center Pacific.)

CONTRACTS

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Tesoro Refining and Marketing Co., San Antonio, Texas, is being awarded
a maximum of $253,455,069 fixed price with economic price adjustment
contract for JP-8 jet fuel for Defense Energy Support Center (DESC).
Other location of performance is Kapolei, Hawaii. This is a 12 month,
indefinite delivery/ quantity type contract. Proposals were Web-solicited
and 17 responded. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the
current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Oct. 30, 2007.
Contracting activity is DESC, Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-06-D-0511).

Petro Star, Inc., Anchorage, Alaska,* is being awarded a maximum of
$152,321,965 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for JP-8
and JP-5 turbine fuel. Using services are Army and Air Force. This is a
12 month, indefinite delivery/ quantity type contract. Other locations
of performance are Valdez and North Pole, Alaska. There were 66
proposals solicited and 17 responded. Contract funds will not expire at the
end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Oct.
30, 2007. Contracting activity is DESC, Fort Belvoir, Va.
(SP0600-06-D-0516).

U.S. Oil and Refining, Tacoma, Wash., is being awarded a maximum of
$99,860,388 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for JP-8
turbine fuel for DESC. This is a 12 month, indefinite delivery/ quantity
type contract. There 66 proposals solicited and 17 responded. Contract
funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of
performance completion is Oct. 30, 2007. Contracting activity is DESC,
Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-06-D-0517).

Navajo Refining Co., Dallas, Texas,* is being awarded a maximum of
$96,934,913.59 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for JP-8
jet fuel for DESC. This is a 12 month, indefinite delivery/quantity
type contract. Other locations of performance are: El Paso, Texas; and
Roswell and Moriarty, New Mexico. There were 66 proposals solicited and 17
responded. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current
fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Oct. 30, 2007. Contracting
activity is DESC, Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-06-D-0519).

Paramount Petroleum Corp., Paramount, Calif., is being awarded a
maximum of $84,920,265 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract
for JP-8 jet fuel for DESC. This is a 12 month, indefinite
delivery/quantity type contract. The other location of performance is Long Beach,
Calif. Proposals were Web-solicited and 17 responded. Contract funds will
not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance
completion is Oct. 30, 2007. Contracting activity is DESC, Fort Belvoir,
Va. (SP0600-06-D-0510).

Western Refining Co., L.P., El Paso, Texas,* is being awarded a maximum
of $84,613,184 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for
JP-8 turbine fuel for DESC. This is a 12 month, indefinite
delivery/quantity type contract. There were 66 proposals solicited and 17
responded. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
Date of performance completion is Oct. 30, 2007. Contracting activity
is DESC, Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-06-D-0505).

ARMY

Pease Construction Inc.*, Lakewood, Wash., was awarded on Sept. 14,
2006, a $26,544,602 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a
special operation forces aviation battalion complex. Work will be performed
at Fort Lewis, Wash., and is expected to be completed by March 18, 2008.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
There were an unknown number of bids solicited via the World Wide Web on
July 11, 2006, and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Seattle, Wash., is the contracting activity (W912DW-06-C-0022).

Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded on Sept. 15, 2006,
an $18,653,000 firm-fixed-price contract for TOW 2B Aero and TOW 2B
Aero Gen 2 Missiles. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is
expected to be completed by June 30, 2012. Contract funds will not expire at
the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract
initiated on Oct. 11, 2005. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command,
Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-06-C-0466).

Mike Hooks Inc.*, Westlake, La., was awarded on Sept. 14, 2006, a
$14,162,500 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging. Work will be
performed in Calcasieu, and Cameron Parishes, La., and is expected to
be completed by July 10, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end
of the current fiscal year. There were an unknown number of bids
solicited on Aug. 4, 2006, and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity
(W912P8-06-C-0192).

The Purdy Corp.*, Manchester, Conn., was awarded on Sept. 15, 2006, a
delivery order amount of $14,130,670 as part of a $37,761,639
firm-fixed-price contract for Mechan Transmissions. Work will be performed in
Manchester, Conn., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2009.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There
were two bids solicited on Feb. 9, 2006, and two bids were received.
The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is
the contracting activity (W58RGZ-06-D-0368).

Lord Corp., Erie, Pa., was awarded on Sept. 15, 2006, a delivery order
amount of $11,389,500 as part of an $11,389,500 firm-fixed-price
contract for rod end bearing for the UH-60 Black Hawk. Work will be performed
in Dayton, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2011.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This
was a sole source contract initiated on Feb. 27, 2006. The U.S. Army
Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting
activity (W58RGZ-06-D-0268).

Hensel Phelps Construction, Austin, Texas, was awarded on Sept. 15,
2006, a delivery order amount of $10,000,000 as part of a $58,707,000
firm-fixed-price contract for Design and Construction of a Company
Operations Facilities. Work will be performed at Fort Bliss, Texas, and is
expected to be completed by May 3, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at
the end of the current fiscal year. There were 12 bids solicited on
March 2, 2006, and 12 bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Albuquerque, N.M., is the contracting activity (W912PP-06-D-0020).

Norfolk Dredging Co., Chesapeake, Va., was awarded on Sept. 18, 2006,
an $8,205,724 firm-fixed-price contract for beach renourishment. Work
will be performed in Carolina, N.C. (37 percent), Kure Beach, N.C. (36
percent), and Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. (27 percent), and is expected to be
completed by March 1, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end
of the current fiscal year. There were nine bids solicited on July 27,
2006, and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Wilmington, N.C., is the contracting activity (W912HN-06-C-0069).

SGS L.L.C.*, Oklahoma City, Okla., was awarded on Sept. 15, 2006, a
delivery order amount of $6,853,903 as part of a $51,190,000
firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of a Brigade combat team
complex and enlisted personnel dining facility. Work will be performed at
Fort Bliss, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 1, 2009.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There
were an unknown number of bids solicited via the World Wide Web on Feb.
17, 2006, and eight bids were received. The U.S. Army Engineer
District, Little Rock, Ariz., is the contracting activity (W9127S-06-D-6000).

GM GDLS Defense Group L.L.C. (Joint Venture), Sterling Heights, Mich.,
was awarded on Sept. 15, 2006, a delivery order amount of $6,778,033 as
part of a $4,870,851,071 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for stryker
reactive armor tile surrogate kits. Work will be performed in Santa Clara,
Calif., and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2007. Contract funds
will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole
source contract initiated on Nov. 15, 2005. The U.S. Army
Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity
(DAAE07-00-D-M051).

OCCI Inc., Fulton, Mo., was awarded on Sept. 18, 2006, a $5,309,510
firm-fixed-price contract for replacement of the existing hydraulic system
with a modern high pressure system. Work will be performed in Keokuk,
Iowa, and is expected to be completed by May 11, 2008. Contract funds
will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were an
unknown number of bids solicited via the World Wide Web on June 29, 2006,
and two bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock
Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W912EK-06-C-0064).

AIR FORCE

Science Applications International Corp., (SAIC), San Diego, Calif.,
was awarded on 18 Sept. 2006, a $23,158,046 cost-plus-award fee contract
The overall objective of the work effort under this contract as defined
in SAIC's statement of work dated 13 Sept. 2006 is to investigate and
demonstrate, via hardware test and evaluation, the viability of a
full-earth sharing sensor assembly to meet threshold missile warning, missile
defense objective of the Defense Satellite Program/Space Based Infrared
Surveillance (DSP/SBIRS) High Systems and to provide performance data
that can be used by the government to assess the risk of this approach
for future alternative infrared satellite system engineering and
manufacturing design program. SAIC shall build, integrate, and test enough of
the hardware and software elements of the functional/signal path to
demonstrate basic integrated sensor assembly capability against
requirements goals derived from the Defense Satellite program/Space
Based Infrared Surveillance High Missile Warning/Missile Defense
requirements. At this time, $342,562 has been obligated. Solicitations began
May 2006 and negotiations were complete September 2006. This work will
be complete 28 months for technical completion plus three months for
receipt of final report (contract completion). Air Force Research
Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., is the contracting activity
(FA9453-06-C-0378).

Northrop Grumman Corp., Electronics Sensors Systems Section, Linthicum
Heights, Md., is being awarded a $11,299,011 firm-fixed-price contract
to provide for eighty-one (81) receiver subassemblies, in support of
B-1B aircraft. At this time, no funds have been obligated. Solicitations
began January 2006 and negotiations were complete September 2006. This
work will be complete April 2009. Headquarters Oklahoma City Air
Logistics Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity.
(FA8103-06-C-0240)

NAVY

Sauer, Inc., dba Sauer Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded
$11,715,601 for firm-fixed-price Task Order KB01 under a previously
awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity design-build multiple
award construction contract (N62467-03-D-0090) for Hurricane Wilma repairs
at Naval Research Laboratory, Key West. This task order contains two
additional options at $653,800 for the installation of additional sheet
piling that may be exercised by written notice no later than 30 Sept.
2006, bringing the total amount of the task order to $12,369,401. Work
will be performed in Key West, Fla., and is expected to be completed by
April 2008. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal
year. The basic contract was competitively procured with 28 offers
solicited, seven proposals received and award made on Sept. 22, 2003. The
total contract amount is not to exceed $200,000,000, which includes the
base period and four option years. The multiple contractors (four
in number) may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions
of the existing contract. Two proposals were received for this task
order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii, is the contracting activity.

R. A. Burch Construction Co., Inc.*, Ramona, Calif., is being awarded
$9,490,928 for firm-fixed price Task Order 0004 under a previously
awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction
contract for construction of an Aerospace Ground Equipment Facility at
Travis Air Force Base. Work will be performed in Fairfield, Calif., and
is expected to be completed by March 2008. Contract funds will not
expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The basic contract was
competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command
e-solicitation website with 20 proposals received and award made on July 12,
2002. The total contract amount is not to exceed $150,000,000 (base period
and four option years). The multiple contractors (six in number) may
compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the existing
contract. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval
Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is
the contracting activity (N68711-02-D-8065).

Accuracy International of North America, Oak Ridge Tenn., is being
awarded a potential $8,505,280 firm-fixed-price,
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for a maximum 8,000 (ea) MK 13 Sniper Rifle
Stock Systems (SRSS) and 64,000 (ea) 300 WinMag Magazines. The Mk13 Sniper
Rifle is a 7.62mm weapon system used in support of the United States
Special Operations Command. The SRSS and 300 WinMag Magazines will be
utilized with the family of Mk13 Sniper Rifles. Work will be performed in
Oak Ridge, Tenn. (70 percent) and Portsmouth, Great Britain (30
percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2011. Contract funds
will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was
competitively procured and advertised on the Internet, with one offer
received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Ind.,
is the contracting activity (N00164-06-D-4892).

T N & Associates, Inc.*, Milwaukee, Wis., is being awarded
$7,715,121 for firm-fixed-price Task Order 0017 under a previously awarded
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction
contract for design and construction of shoreline repair improvements at Naval
Air Station, Key West. Work will be performed in Key West, Fla., and is
expected to be completed by October 2007. Contract funds will expire at
the end of the current fiscal year. The basic contract was
competitively procured and award made on Sept. 18, 2002. The total contract amount
is not to exceed $20,000,000, which includes the base period and four
option years. The multiple contractors (four in number) may compete for
task orders under the terms and conditions of the existing contract.
Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities
Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting
activity (N62467-02-D-0483).

Jacobs Sverdrup, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is being awarded a $7,713,710
task order #0010 under previously awarded contract (M67854-02-A-9017)
for engineering and scientific support for product group information
systems and infrastructure for Marine Corps network and infrastructure
services. The contractor will be required to coordinate schedules, assist
with data collection for assets not currently being refreshed, user
requirements management; application inventory; and related actions
necessary to effect transition activities after decision meeting 3 build out
submissions and seat cutover, technical refresh schedules and
activities and life-cycle sustainment in the Navy Marine Corps Internet
environment (e. g. SRM data collection, asset reconciliation and tracking). The
scope of this task shall be structured to reflect support for
Headquarters Marine Corps and Major Commands across the Marine Corps sites. Work
will be performed in Dumfries, Va., and is expected to be
completed in September 2007. Contract funds will expire at the end of
the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Va.,
is the contracting activity

*Small Business

 Another aviation first was accomplished at
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., yesterday morning when a B-52
Stratofortress long-range bomber flew using an alternative fuel.

The flight test ran two of the B-52's engines on a synthetic fuel made
from a 50-50 blend of traditional crude oil-based fuel and a
"Fischer-Tropsch" fuel derived from natural gas, while the remaining six engines
ran on traditional JP-8 jet fuel.

Air Force Undersecretary Dr. Ronald M. Sega observed the mission as a
crewmember and said the test was a step in the right direction toward
conservation. "This test sets the stage for a more comprehensive plan the
Air Force has toward conservation," he said. "This test fits into this
overall vision and is the first step in a long process for looking at
the viability of alternative fuels."

"This is just one of many alternative fuels the Air Force is looking
into," Maj. Gen. Curtis Bedke, Air Force Flight Test Center commander,
said. "This test is aiding in creating options and alternatives to our
current fuel."

From what he could see during the flight, Sega said, the synthetic fuel
engine performed as well as the other engines running traditional fuel.
But officials are still waiting for final test results, which will be
reported after all the "test points" are acquired and analyzed.

If this alternative fuel test proves to be a success, the next step
will be to perform an eight-engine test using the fuel in a few months,
Bedke said.

Before manned flight was attempted here, the fuel was tested to see how
it reacted to aircraft parts. The fuel was placed into a T-63 engine,
where it underwent 130 hours of tests.

One of the engines was then taken off of the B-52 and sent to Tinker
Air Force Base, Okla., where it went through a 50-hour continuous
alternative fuel run. The engine was reinstalled into the B-52, and ground
tests were performed before yesterday's flight.

After its testing at Edwards, the alternative fuel housed in the fuel
tanks of the B-52 is scheduled to undergo cold-weather testing in
January or February, officials said.

Although the Fischer-Tropsch fuel demonstration flight was successfully
completed, it was cut short due to a mechanical issue with the left
wing-tip landing gear unrelated to the alternative fuel test, officials
said. The aircraft landed safely without incident.

A more hopeful world free of terrorism is
within reach, and the international community must make a decision to
support reformers in the Middle East and work together to secure that
peaceful future, President Bush said today in New York City.

Speaking at the 61st session of the United Nations General Assembly,
Bush urged the nations present to support Iraq, Afghanistan, and other
countries in the region as they move toward democracy.

"We must stand with democratic leaders and moderate reformers across
the broader Middle East," Bush said. "We must give them voice to the
hopes of decent men and women who want for their children ... the same
things we want for ours. We must seek stability through a free and just
Middle East, where the extremists are marginalized by millions of citizens
in control of their own destinies."

Five years ago, after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Bush
addressed the U.N. and called on the international community to defend
civilization against terrorism. Today he reiterated that message, and
noted the progress that's been made in the Middle East as democracy begins
to take hold.

Five years ago the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, and its seat in the U.N.
was contested, Bush noted. Now, the freely elected government of
Afghanistan, represented by President Hamid Karzai, holds the seat.

Also five years ago, a dictator who killed his citizens, invaded his
neighbors, and showed his contempt for the world by defying more than a
dozen U.N. Security Council resolutions, held Iraq's seat in the U.N.,
Bush said. Today, a democratic government that embodies the aspirations
of the Iraqi people holds Iraq's seat, he said.

"With these changes, more than 50 million people have been given a
voice in this chamber for the first time in decades," Bush said.

Other changes are happening in the Middle East, and while they may take
time, the region is on its way to a brighter future, Bush said.

"Every nation that travels the road to freedom moves at a different
pace, and the democracies they build will reflect their own culture and
traditions," he said. "But the destination is the same: a free society
where people live at peace with each other and at peace with the world."

Those who argue that democratic changes in the Middle East are
destabilizing the region are operating on a false assumption that the region
was stable to begin with, Bush said. In reality, for decades, millions of
men and women in the region have been trapped in oppression and
hopelessness, and those conditions left a generation disillusioned and made
the region a breeding ground for extremism, he said.

Every civilized nation, including those in the Muslim world, must
support those in the Middle East who offer a hopeful alternative to violence
and extremism, Bush said. When people have a voice in their future and
the leaders are accountable to the people, they are less likely to
engage in violence and the leaders will seek national greatness, he said.

"As liberty flourishes, nations grow in tolerance and hope and peace,"
he said. "And we're seeing that bright future begin to take root in the
broader Middle East."

Speaking directly to the people of the Middle East, Bush said the U.S.
desires peace and respects Islam. However, the U.S. will protect its
people from those who pervert Islam to sow death and destruction, he
said.

"Our goal is to help you build a more tolerant and hopeful society that
honors people of all faiths and promotes the peace," he said.

America has made its choice to stand with the moderates and reformers
in the Middle East and work for a hopeful future, Bush said. The choice
now rests on the international community to make the same stand for
freedom that people in the Middle East have already made, even amidst
violence and oppression, he said.

"Freedom, by its nature, cannot be imposed, it must be chosen," he
said. "From Beirut to Baghdad, people are making the choice for freedom.
And the nations gathered in this chamber must make a choice as well. Will
we support the moderates and reformers who are working for change
across the Middle East, or will we yield the future to the terrorists and
extremists?"

An Army astronaut orbiting 220 miles above
the earth did a somersault Sept. 14 for wounded warriors recuperating
at Brooke Army Medical Center here.

Hooked up to BAMC through a NASA video teleconference, Col. Jeffrey
Williams performed a sideways somersault for 15 wounded warriors talking
with the astronaut, who serves as the flight engineer and science
officer for International Space Station Expedition 13.

From his outpost in outer space, Williams quipped to the wounded, "How
often do you see a colonel do a somersault for you?"

The video conference was arranged after Williams asked NASA to
reconnect him with the wounded warriors. Some of the BAMC patients had already
met the astronaut once on a video teleconference when they toured the
Johnson Space Center in Houston in June.

The first voice the group heard on the teleconference was the Army
astronaut, a West Point graduate.

"This is the International Space Station, can you hear me?" Williams
said. The group responded, "Loud and clear."

Williams told the wounded warriors that not a day goes by that he
doesn't think about troops fighting in the global war on terrorism. As he
welcomed the group "aboard" the International Space Station, he said he
considered the wounded warriors heroes. "I think very highly of those
who are willing to serve our country and put themselves in harm's way --
those who understand what duty and service is," he said. "You all have
demonstrated that and made some obvious sacrifices."

Reviewing a busy week at the space station, he said the space shuttle
Atlantis had docked and that two completed space walks went well.
Williams said the view from the shuttle was fantastic, with the shuttle
orbiting the earth every 90 minutes.

For 22 minutes, Williams answered questions posed by the group. He said
he was looking forward to returning to Earth. "You can relate to being
in far-off places for way too long," he said.

Williams launched into space March 30 along with Russian cosmonaut
Pavel Vinogradov, arriving at the International Space Station on April 1.
The three-member crew, which also included German astronaut Col. Thomas
Reiter, is set to return to Earth in two weeks.

The Army astronaut said that although he had spent a long time in what
he affectionately referred to as a "tin can" and away from family, he
never experienced any boredom in space. With free time, he finds a
window with a view to the Earth below.

The group asked him about sleeping in space. The Army astronaut said he
slips into a special sleeping bag in a crew area. "Sleeping is a little
tough to get used to," Williams said. "I want to find a place to put my
head, and you just don't do that up here."

The astronaut said that although he was eating well and exercising on a
treadmill, he had dropped eight to 10 pounds.

Asked about the chow, Williams told the group that MREs -- meals,
ready-to-eat -- also were available in space.

Asked where he we would eat first when he returned to the United
States, Williams gave a smart reply. "I'll probably eat a meal prepared by my
wife -- she's a great cook," he said. After that, he said, he would be
looking for Tex-Mex food or a big Texas steak.

One of the wounded asked Williams if he thought the flight doctors
would ever allow an amputee to go up in space. "I'd say never give up,"
Williams said. "Some of you and those who have gone before you have proven
that you can do some pretty incredible things, even after amputation.
So whatever your goals might be, I'd say pursue them and don't give up."

From his perch in space, Williams said he was rooting for the Army to
win the upcoming West Point vs. Texas A&M match.

The Army astronaut said he planned to visit BAMC with his wife after
getting back to Texas. Thanking the wounded for their service, he signed
off by reminding them that "the cause is important, and I know you are
thinking about your buddies back in theater, as I am."

Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Sevald, who plans to go back to teaching,
said he hopes to use the videoconference experience in his classroom.
"I'll use this experience to motivate my students' interest in history,"
Sevald said.

Navy Petty Officer Derek McGinnis said the videoconference to the
International Space Station was motivating to him, especially since a fellow
servicemember had asked to speak with the wounded troops. "The military
is a family and team," he said. "You can overcome obstacles and go on
to do bigger and better things."

CONTRACTS

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Science Applications International Corp., Fairfield, N.J., is being
awarded a maximum of $1,050,000,000 fixed price with economic price
adjustment contract for maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) supplies
for Southeast Region, zone 1. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force,
Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. This is an indefinite
delivery/quantity type contract exercising 2nd option. Proposals were
Web-solicited and 11 responded. Contract funds will not expire at the end of
the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Sept. 17,
2007. Contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP),
Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM500-02-D-0121).

SupplyCore, Inc., Rockford, Ill., is being awarded a maximum
525,000,000 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for maintenance,
repair, and operations supplies for Southeast Region, zone 2. Using
services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian
agencies. This is an indefinite delivery/quantity type contract exercising
2nd option. Proposals were Web-solicited and 11 responded. Contract
funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of
performance completion is Sept. 17, 2007. Contracting activity is DSCP,
Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM500-02-D-0122).

Graybar Electric Company, St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a maximum
175,000,000 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for
maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) supplies for Southeast Region,
Zone 3. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and
federal civilian agencies. This is an indefinite delivery/quantity type
contract exercising 2nd option. Proposals were Web-solicited and 11
responded. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal
year. Date of performance completion is September 17, 2007. Contracting
activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa.
(SPM500-02-D-0123).

BP West Coast Products LLC, La Palma, Calif., is being awarded a
maximum of $573,304.743 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract
for JP-8 turbine fuel and F-76 naval distillate fuel for Defense Energy
Support Center (DESC). This is a 12 month, indefinite delivery/
quantity type contract. There were 66 proposals solicited and 17 responded.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
Date of performance completion is Oct. 30, 2007. Contracting activity is
DESC, Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-06-D-0502).

Shell Oil Products U.S., Houston, Texas, is being awarded a maximum of
$254,184,476 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for
JP8 turbine fuel for DESC. This is a 12 - month, indefinite delivery/
quantity type contract. There were 66 proposals solicited and 17
responded. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
Date of performance completion is October 30, 2007. Contracting
activity is DESC, Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-06-D-0518).

US Foods International, Gardens, Calif.,* is being awarded a maximum
$62,000,000 firm fixed price contract for indefinite quantity for prime
vendor full line food distribution for the Republic of Korea. Using
services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Child Development
Center. There were 15 proposals and 2 responses. Date of performance
completion is Sept. 22, 2007. Contracting activity is Defense Supply Center
Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa (SPM300-06-D-3084).

Marathon Alaska Natural Gas Co., Anchorage, Alaska, is being awarded a
$51,197,278 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for
natural gas. Using services are Army, Air Force, and federal civilian
agencies. There were 4 proposals and 1 response. Date of performance
completion is Sept. 30, 2010. Contracting activity is Defense Energy Support
Center, Fort Belvoir, Va. (SPo600-06-D-7505).

AIR FORCE

Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Fla., is being awarded a $25,949,120
cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification. This modification is awarded
to add three award term years to the basic contract. This action
provides for operation and maintenance and development efforts for currency
upgrades and integration for the Distributed Mission Operations Center.
The Distributed Mission Operations Center is the Air Force's
warfighter-in-the-loop simulation facility operated at Kirtland Air Force Base,
N.M. The contract supports Distributed Mission Operations Center mission
which is to provide advanced distributed simulation to the warfighter
for improving established theater air and space warfare systems and
concepts of operation, training, and development of new systems and CONOPS.
At this time, $721,500 have been obligated. This work will be complete
August 2009. Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base,
N.M., is the contracting activity. (F29601-01-C-0242/P00069)

GKN Aerospace Chem-Tronics Inc., El Cajon, Calif., is being awarded a
$18,553,600 firm-fixed-price contract. This action provides for 223
chemical mill front fan ducts, in support of the F100/200/220E PW engine.
At this time, total funds have been obligated. Negotiations began in
July 2006 and negotiations were complete August 2006. This work will be
complete August 2007. Headquarters Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center,
Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity.
(FA8104-06-C-0240)

HNC Software LLC, Advanced Technologies Group, San Diego, Calif., is
being awarded a $6,462,270 cost-plus-fixed fee contract. This effort will
develop, test, demonstrate and deliver key software components of a
vision for machine cognition technology capable of autonomously
organization and reasoning about data of any modality, including text, images and
video. This technology is to be integrated into the Collaboration and
Analyst/System Effectiveness system to thoroughly capture tacit
knowledge in an usable form for data integration, collaboration support, and
geospatial reasoning, and to provide dramatically improved capabilities
for hypothesis generation and tracking. Deliverable include software,
hardware, installation and demonstration. At this time, $471,148 have
been obligated. Solicitations began October 2005 and negotiations were
complete August 2006. This work will be complete by December 2010. Air
Force Research Laboratory, Rome, N.Y., is the contracting
activity. (FA8750-06-C-0200)

  NAVY

Harper Construction Company, Inc., San Diego, Calif.; Stronghold
Engineering, Inc., Riverside, Calif.; Solpac, Inc. dba Soltek Pacific, San
Diego, Calif.; Douglas E. Barnhart, Inc., San Diego, Calif.; RQ
Construction, Inc., Bonsall, Calif., are each being awarded a firm-fixed-price,
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction
contract for new construction, renovation/revitalization/alteration, and
repair by design-build or design-bid-build of various bachelor enlisted
quarters, bachelor officer quarters (BEQ), and lodges of various
roofing systems at various locations within the Naval Facilities Engineering
Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility (AOR). The total
amount per contract is not to exceed $100,000,000 (base period and four
option years) with a guaranteed minimum of $25,000, bringing the
cumulative total for all five contracts to $500,000,000. Harper Construction
Company, Inc. is being awarded the $19,897,265 initial task order
for the design and construction of a BEQ at Horno 53 Area at the Marine
Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, Calif. Work for this task order
is expected to be completed by July 2008. The remaining four
contractors are being awarded the minimum guarantee of $25,000. Work will be
performed at various federal sites within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR
including, but not limited to, California (87 percent), Arizona (5 percent),
Nevada (1 percent), New Mexico (1 percent), Oregon (1 percent), Idaho (1
percent), Montana (1 percent), Utah (1 percent), Washington (1
percent), and Alaska (1 percent). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60
months, with an expected completion date of September 2007 (September
2011 with options). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the
current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the
NAVFAC e-solicitation website with 10 offers received. These five
contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of
the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command
Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (contract
numbers
N62473-06-D-1056/1057/1058/1059/1060).
Anteon Corp., Fairfax, Va., is being awarded a $12,142,481 modification
to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00421-00-D-0328) to exercise an option for
maintenance planning and design interface technical/management support
services for the Naval Air Depot, Jacksonville, Fla. These services include
evaluating initial designs, evaluating proposed design changes,
maintenance planning and sustaining maintenance plans. Work will be performed
in Jacksonville, Fla. (90 percent), and Oklahoma City, Okla. (10
percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2007. Contract funds
will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air
Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting
activity.

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $10,008,000
modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract
(N00019-05-C-0045) to provide persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance
unmanned aerial vehicle services in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and
the Global War on Terror. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and
is expected to be completed in September 2007. Contract funds will
expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems
Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Harris Corp., RF Communications Division, Rochester, N.Y.; is being
awarded a $9,879,676 General Services Administration Delivery Order under
previously awarded contract (M67854-06-A-7033) for spares specific to
the Multi-Band Multi-Mission Radio (MBMMR), part number 10513-0010-01
(also known as the AN/PRC-117F) and the MBMMR vehicular adaptor/power
amplifier, part number AN/VRC-103(V)1. Work will be performed in
Rochester, N.Y., and is expected to be completed September 2007. Contract funds
will expire during the current fiscal year. This contract is a sole
source and was synopsized on Navy Electronic Commerce On-line. The Marine
Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

Harris Corp., RF Communications Division, Rochester, N.Y.; is being
awarded an $8,207,563 General Services Administration Delivery Order under
previously awarded contract (M67854-06-A-7034) for spares specific to
the High Frequency Manpack Radio (HFMR), part number 10540-0100-01 (also
known as the AN/PRC-150C), the HFMR 150W vehicular adaptor/power
amplifier, part number (10540-7010-01) also known as the AN/VRC-104(V)3 and
the HFMR Transit Case System part number (10540-0810-01) also known as
the AN/TRC-209. Work will be performed in Rochester, N.Y., and is
expected to be completed September 2007. Contract funds will expire at the
end of the current fiscal year. This contract is a sole source and was
synopsized on Navy Electronic Commerce On-line. The Marine Corps Systems
Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems Technical Services, Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is being
awarded a firm fixed price with cost reimbursable line items contract
in the amount of $7,391,630 for operation and maintenance support for
facilities operating under Naval computer and telecommunications area
Master Station Pacific, Hawaii. This contract includes one 11-month base
period and four option periods, which if exercised, bring the total
estimated value of the contract to $37,979,285.
Work will be performed in Oahu, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed
by September 2011. Contract funds will not expire by the end of the
current fiscal year. This contract was awarded competitively through Navy
Commerce Online and the Federal Business Opportunity Web sites, with
three offers received. The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Pearl
Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N00604-06-C-0014).

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space Co., Sunnyvale, Calif., is being
awarded a $7,075,600 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide program
management, administration, engineering, contracting, configuration and
process control to the subcontractor (Honeywell) for the production of a
small re-entry inertia measurement unit (SRIMU) which meets all system
performance objectives, including cost, electrical and mechanical
interface control documents intended for high accuracy instrumentation
applications as called out in the SRIMU specification document. Work will be
performed in Sunnyvale, Calif., and is expected to be completed by April
2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal
year. The contract was not competitively procured. The Navy's Strategic
Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity
(N00030-06-C-0009).

EDO Reconnaissance and Surveillance Systems (RSS), Morgan Hill, Calif.,
is being awarded a $6,159,638 firm-fixed-priced delivery order against
a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N68335-06-G-0016) for the
manufacture and delivery of the 31 R-4100 chassis radio frequency (RF)
tuners (with internal TN-500 digital RF tuner and automatic
identification system capability) for the domestic P-3 aircraft. Work will be
performed in Morgan Hills, Calif., and is expected to be completed in
February 2008. Contract funds in the amount of $4,984,000 will expire at the
end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River,
Md. is the contracting activity.

MagCanica, Inc.*, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a not-to-exceed
$5,000,000 Phase III Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program
contract for Topic N01-024 entitled "Innovative Gas Turbine Engine
Propulsion." The contractor will provide services and materials for
engineering tasks, including research and development, prototype development
and fabrication, demonstration/validation, product development services,
product application studies and modeling, fabrication/production of
hardware, software design, software development and fabrication,
retrofitting developed products into existing air and sea-based platforms and
in-service engineering pertaining to non-contacting torque sensing
technology. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to
be completed in September 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the
end of the current fiscal year. The Phase I effort was competitively
procured using SBIR Program Solicitation under Topic N01-024; 30
offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division,
Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-06-D-0016).

MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY

General Dynamics C4 Systems, Inc. of Gilbert, Ariz., 85233-1000, is
being awarded a Cost-Plus-Award/Fixed Fee contract modification to
equitably adjust the contract for the Government caused delay to the near
field infrared experiment launch delay effort. The total estimated value of
the contract modification is $11,121,161. The work will be performed in
Gilbert, Ariz., and is expected to be complete by August 2008.
$3,500,000 of the funds will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Missile
Defense Agency, Washington, D.C. is the contracting activity
(HQ0006-02-C-0050).

* Small Business

NATO leaders will meet in New York later
this week to discuss the NATO-led International Security Assistance
Force effort in Afghanistan and the best way to meet its outstanding
requirements.

The NATO leaders are slated to meet while in New York for the opening
of the 61st session of the U.N. General Assembly.

NATO has assumed the security mission in southern Afghanistan, U.S.
Marine Gen. James L. Jones, NATO's top military officer, reported last
month while in Washington. The alliance now has responsibility for about
80 percent of the nation and is slated to assume command for the rest of
the country by the year's end, he said.

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has called the alliance's
mission in Afghanistan its most important and has urged more
contributions from its 26 member nations.

"This is probably the most important mission NATO has done in many
years," reiterated Bryan Whitman, deputy assistant secretary of defense for
public affairs, said today. "This is a bold and aggressive mission, an
out-of-area mission, and a mission that needs the resources that were
outlined in the combined joint statement of requirements."

Whitman expressed hope that NATO members will step forward to provide
needed capabilities.

The United States, with 21,000 troops in Afghanistan, is the largest
contributor to Operation Enduring Freedom in both troops and capability,
he noted.

Jones noted during a Pentagon press briefing last month that Australia,
Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, Estonia and the
United States now contribute about 6,000 troops in southern
Afghanistan.
In addition, Poland offered last week to contribute more troops to the
mission, and about 100 additional Australian soldiers arrived in
southern Afghanistan's Uruzgan province last week.

NATO nations are also being asked to review the restrictions they place
on their troops assigned to the ISAF mission. Eliminating some of those
will give British Army Lt. Gen. David J. Richards, the ISAF commander,
more flexibility and an ability to do things faster, Whitman said.

Whitman acknowledged that every NATO nation faces the challenge in
Afghanistan from its own perspective and contributes to that challenge
accordingly. "Every nation wakes up in a different part of the world with
different concerns of their citizenry, but this is an important mission
and NATO has realized that this is an important mission and has stepped
up to the plate," he said.

America Supports You: Program Connects Families With Books

A California-based program designed to
reinforce the benefits of reading aloud to children is making it easier
for deployed parents to do so.

"United Through Reading," a Family Literacy Foundation program for
military families, provides deployed parents the means to video record
themselves reading to their children from wherever they're stationed.

"We're talking about the joy of reading and the bond that is
established between parents and children," said Betty Mohlenbrock, founder of the
Family Literacy Foundation, and a former Navy wife.

She calls the program a "turn-key" operation, set up so anyone can
participate. Deployed parents receive the materials necessary to record
themselves reading to their child, including a small library of children's
books.

Mohlenbrock said the DVDs they create quickly become favorites. "Many
of the kids, we've heard ... call these videos their 'Daddy Movies,'"
she said.

United Through Reading is available at 140 sites overseas, and on Navy
ships, Mohlenbrock said. Included in that number are about 40 United
Service Organizations sites. "The advantage to that is all the branches
can find availability of the program if it's at (USOs)," she added.

Currently, the program works mostly with the Navy, and has some
outreach in the Marine Corps, but Mohlenbrock said United Through Reading has
its "toes in the door with other branches."

The Target Corporation has helped that expansion tremendously,
providing the nonprofit organization with some much-needed funding. "They are
very, genuinely interested in benefiting military families," Mohlenbrock
said. "I think the thing that's unique about what we do, and such a
good match for them, is that (the program) has to do with reading and
family connections."

The program began in 1990 during the Gulf War, but the seed was planted
during the Vietnam War, said Mohlenbrock, an educator and reading
specialist.

During that time, her husband was a flight surgeon deployed for 10
months on a carrier, and she had a toddler at home. The couple's daughter
turned 2 while her father was deployed.

"In those days, we had just a couple of phone calls, no e-mail,"
Mohlenbrock said. "When he came home, she didn't recognize him."

About that same time, Mohlenbrock said she realized to the benefits of
reading to a child--and how little importance American society was
placing on it.

"Only 50 percent of American children (are) read to regularly before
they go to school, and 35 percent of children enter school two years
behind their peers," she said. "At the same time, so much research was
substantiating the importance of this experience that is the single best
predictor of a child's future success in reading, if they've been read to
regularly."

Mohlenbrock knows her program is beneficial in other ways as well. "It
helps with reunification, such as it would have certainly helped with
our daughter," she said.

Commanders also have told Mohlenbrock what a morale boost the program
is for the deployed parent. "It gives them great satisfaction to be able
to participate in that part of their (children's) lives during long
deployments," she said.

It also can free up a few minutes for the spouse at home, she said.

While the program focuses on kids ages 3 to 5, Mohlenbrock advocates
reading to children as long as they express an interest. "(It's) not to
say that once they turn 5 that you quit, because the benefits are
forever, particularly in communication and in bonding," she said. "The
conversations that come out of story time are perhaps richer than any other
time of the day."

The Family Literacy Foundation offers other, smaller programs to the
community at large. One focuses on providing preschoolers with the
experience of being read to by high school students. Both groups are from
at-risk communities.

The foundation also runs a program for San Diego County jail inmates,
and another, similar to the military program, for grandparents.

The Family Literacy Foundation is a member of the Defense Department's
America Supports You program, which highlights ways Americans and the
corporate sector support the nation's servicemembers.
 

New identification cards to be issued to
Defense Department employees beginning next month will help standardize
workforce identification and security access systems across the
government, a senior Defense Department official said here Sept. 15.

The new common access card eventually will be issued to all federal
employees and is part of a standardized, secure credentialing system that
was mandated after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Mary Dixon,
deputy director of the Defense Manpower Data Center in Arlington, Va.,
said Sept. 15 during a joint interview with American Forces Press
Service and the Pentagon Channel.

Starting Oct. 27, the new "super CAC" ID cards will be issued to
employees over the next three years as the old cards reach their expiration
dates, she said.

The new cards interface with a secure, encrypted credentialing database
and are interoperable for personal identification as well as access to
federal buildings and facilities, she said.

However, each facility will still determine who is authorized access,
Dixon pointed out. Information embedded on the cards is quickly
referenced and compared to centrally stored personnel security clearance data,
she said.

"It is an effort to try to improve the security in the federal
government," Dixon explained. The new cards also help employees secure their
computer networks, she said, as well as providing improved security for
federal buildings, military installations and campuses.

"So, I can use this card, not just in the Department of Defense, but it
can be read in other agencies," Dixon said. "If they choose to give me
access, they can then read my card," she said.

The new card features the user's photograph, like other cards now in
circulation, Dixon said. But its computer chip also will contain two
encrypted fingerprints, as well as a unique personal identification number.

The new card can be read, either by swiping it or by waving it near a
special card reader, she said.

Issuance of the new card has the potential of reducing the number of
agency security badges, Dixon said, because federal agencies will refer
to a standardized credentialing system. However, agency security
administrators still have the authority to approve or deny access.

"The card, on its own, does not entitle you to any access to anything,"
Dixon explained. "It is an authentication token."

"Every time you use the card, it is authenticated, meaning somebody
checks to make sure that that card is a 'good' card issued in the
Department of Defense to you, and that it is still valid," Dixon said.

As always, employees who believe their government-issued ID card has
been lost or stolen are required to notify security administrators, Dixon
said, who then deactivate the card.

This ensures that cards reported stolen or missing can't be used in
DoD, she said.

 

CONTRACTS

AIR FORCE

Alliance Contractor Team (ACT), Sterling, Va., is being awarded a
$1,080,690,079 indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, firm-fixed-price
contract. This action provides for International Airlift Services. The Air
Force can issue delivery orders totaling up to maximum amount indicated
above, though actual requirements may necessitate less than the amount
above. At this time, $142,912,451 have been obligated. Negotiations
began in March 2006 and negotiations were complete September 2006. This
work will be complete September 2007. Headquarters Air Mobility Command,
Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity
(FA4428-06-D-0005).

Federal Express Charter Programs Teaming Arrangement, Memphis, Tenn.,
is being awarded a $1,020,170,748 indefinite delivery/indefinite
quantity, firm-fixed-price contract. This action provides for International
Airlift Services. The Air Force can issue delivery orders totaling up to
the maximum amount indicated above, although actual requirements may
necessitate less than the amount above. At this time, $185,862,128 have
been obligated. Negotiations began in March 2006 and negotiations were
complete September 2006. This work will be complete September 2007.
Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the
contracting activity (FA4428-06-D-0006).

United Parcel Service Contractor Team, Louisville, Ky., is being
awarded a $119,101,003 indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity,
firm-fixed-price contract. This action provides for International Airlift Services.
The Air Force can issue delivery orders totaling up to maximum amount
indicated above, though actual requirements may necessitate less than
the amount above. At this time, $13,038,595 have been obligated.
Negotiations began in March 2006 and negotiations were complete September 2006.
This work will be complete September 2007. Headquarters Air Mobility
Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity
(FA4428-06-D-0007).

AAR Mobility Systems, Cadillac, Mich., is being awarded a $68,443,300
firm-fixed-price contract. This action is an order against a
requirements contract for a quantity of 53,231 new 463L Pallets the Air Force
acquired by the Support Equipment and Vehicle Management Directorate at
Robins Air Fore Base, Ga. At this time, total funds have been obligated.
This work will be complete February 2008. Headquarters Warner Robins Air
Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is the contracting
activity (FA8519-05-D-0007-0014).

Lynden Air Cargo, LLC., Anchorage, Alaska, is being awarded a
$45,781,345 indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, firm-fixed-price contract.
This action provides for International Airlift Services. At this time,
$42,778,485 have been obligated. Negotiations began in March 2006 and
negotiations were complete September 2006. This work will be complete
September 2007. Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base,
Ill., is the contracting activity (FA4428-06-D-0013).

Miami Air Team, Miami, Fla., is being awarded a $43,182,736 indefinite
delivery/indefinite quantity, firm-fixed-price contract. This action
provides for International Airlift Services. The Air Force can issue
delivery orders totaling up to maximum amount indicated above, though
actual requirements may necessitate less than the amount above. At this
time, $142,912,451 have been obligated. Negotiations began in March 2006
and negotiations were complete September 2006. This work will be complete
September 2007. Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force
Base, Ill., is the contracting activity (FA4428-06-D-0008).

Boeing Co., Anaheim, Calif., is being awarded a $13,986,045
firm-fixed-price contract modification. The combat survivor evader locator full
rate production FY06 effort includes procurement of the following: radio
sets, 1,666; radio set spares, 167; radio set adapters, 240; radio set
adapter spares 17; prime radio set batteries, 3,357 rechargeable radio
set batteries, 418; rechargeable radio set battery adapters, 1,667. At
this time, total funds have been obligated. This work will be complete
March 2007. Headquarters 653d Electronic Systems Wing, Hanscom Air
Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity (FA8807-05-C-0004/P00009).

Continental Airlines, Houston, Texas, is being awarded a $10,101,700
indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, firm-fixed-price contract. This
action provides for International Airlift Services. The Air Force can
issue delivery orders totaling up to maximum amount indicated above,
though actual requirements may necessitate less than the amount above. At
this time, $1,700 have been obligated. Negotiations began in March 2006
and negotiations were complete September 2006. This work will be
complete September 2007. Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force
Base, Ill., is the contracting activity (FA4428-06-D-0009).

NAVY

L-3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics, Mason, Ohio, is being
awarded a $35,647,000 firm-fixed price contract for the testing, evaluation,
integration and production of an Upgraded M36E3 Thermal Sight System
and option Contract Line Items Numbers for associated technical and
engineering support. This contract is awarded as a result of a full and open
competitive solicitation. Work will be performed in Mason, Ohio, and is
expected to be completed September 2008. $34,904,572 of the contract
funds will expire by the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps
Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity
(M67854-06-C-6022).

Ultra Electronics Ocean Systems, Braintree, Mass., is being awarded a
$19,138,073 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity
contract to fabricate 50 TR-317 first article transducers, drawings,
repair manuals, a Vulcanized Head Mass Assembly, and production units. Work
will be performed in Braintree, Mass., and is expected to be completed
by September 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the
current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured and
advertised on the Internet, with three offers received. The Naval Undersea
Warfare Center, Newport Division, Newport, R.I., is the contracting activity
(N66604-06-D-0867).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Naval Electronics & Surveillance Division,
Eagan, Minn., is being awarded $6,194,996 for firm fixed price delivery
order #1333 under previously awarded contract (N00024-98-D-5202) for
logistics support of the AN/UYQ-70 advance display system. Work will be
performed in Eagan, Minn., is work is expected to be completed by March
2007. Contract funds will not expire before the end of the contract
ordering period. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval
Inventory Control Point is the contracting activity.

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

NSTAR Electric & Gas Corp., Westwood, Mass., is being awarded a
maximum $8,226,499 regulated tariff rate contract to rebuild the
electrical distribution system at the Soldier System Center, Natick, Mass., for
Army. This is a sole source contract. Contract funds will expire at the
end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is 2016.
Contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir,
Va. (SP0600-06-F-8267).

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

2nd Lt. Emily J.T. Perez, 23, of Texas, died on Sept.12 of injuries
sustained in Al Kifl, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated
near her HMMWV during combat operations. Perez was assigned to the
204th Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood,
Texas.

An American soldier was killed Sept. 15
when the vehicle he was traveling in was struck by a roadside bomb south
of Baghdad, according to U.S. officials.

The soldier's name is being withheld pending notification of next of
kin.

And, for the third time in four days, the enemy used mosques to launch
attacks on Iraqi and U.S. security forces, U.S. officials reported.

Soldiers from the 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, reported being
attacked Sept. 16 by small-arms fire from the Genet al Meawa Mosque,
south of Baghdad, near Mahmudiyah. Soldiers from Multinational Division
Baghdad's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, moved into
the area to support the besieged Iraqis.

Terrorists in Baghdad also fired at Iraqi security forces and U.S.
soldiers from mosques twice before in recent days, on Sept. 12 and 13,
officials said.

"We want to remind the Iraqi people that while U.S. soldiers respect
the sanctity of mosques, those religious sites lose their protected
status when terrorists use them in order to attack Iraqi security and
coalition forces," Brig. Gen. David Halverson, deputy commanding general for
support, Multinational Division Baghdad, said.

Terrorists also have been using Baghdad-area holy sites as bases for
storing weapons and bomb-making materials and to hold death squad
meetings, Halverson said.

And, Iraqi soldiers, police and a U.S. bomb-disposal unit teamed up
Sept. 15 to eliminate an improvised explosive device threat in the town of
Arab Jabur, south of Baghdad.

Iraqi national policemen responded to a report of an IED placed on a
road near Arab Jabur and cordoned off the area. An EOD team arrived on
the scene and conducted a controlled detonation to eliminate the threat.

U.S. soldiers also discovered a large munitions cache during a
cordon-and-search operation conducted in northeast Baghdad Sept. 14. Soldiers
from Company B, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker
Brigade Combat Team, discovered 42 155 mm rounds buried in an industrial
dump. An EOD team blew up the confiscated munitions.

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers also found another weapons
cache in northeast Baghdad the same day. That cache contained 30 artillery
rounds ranging in size from 122 mm to 155 mm. They disposed of the
captured ordnance.

Since Sept. 14, Iraqi security forces and U.S. soldiers in Baghdad have
cleared more than 55,500 buildings, including 60 mosques and 50
muhallas, detained more than 90 terrorist suspects, seized more than 1,200
weapons, registered over 780 weapons and found 33 weapons caches.

The combined forces also have replaced more than 1,100 doors, 35
windows and 1,350 locks damaged during clearing operations and removed more
than 110,000 cubic meters of trash from the streets of Baghdad.

One U.S. soldier died and another was
wounded in Afghanistan during two separate battles on a firebase near
Khowst, near the Pakistan border, U.S. officials said yesterday.

Afghan National Army soldiers also were injured during enemy attacks
that occurred amid Operation Mountain Fury, a coalition offensive
launched several weeks ago to defeat Taliban troops operating in east-central
Afghanistan.

"The death of our soldier is a tragic loss for Task Force Phoenix,"
said Brig. Gen. Douglas A. Pritt, commander of Combined Joint Task Force
Phoenix. The deceased soldier, whose name is being withheld until the
family is notified, was an embedded U.S. trainer with the Afghan National
Army, he said.

About 7,000 U.S. and Afghan troops are participating in Mountain Fury,
which is being conducted in Paktika, Khost, Ghazni, Paktya and Logar
provinces.

Meanwhile, the International Security Assistance Force-led Operation
Medusa, comprised of more than 10,000 Afghan and NATO forces, has
thwarted Taliban attempts to reestablish their presence in the Panjwayi
district of Kandahar province, officials said. About 2,500 U.S. troops are
also involved in the operation.

Another anti-Taliban offensive, named "Big North Wind," continues to
stymie extremists trying to threaten Afghans in the Korangal Valley of
Kunar province.

"The combined operations of Big North Wind, Mountain Fury and Operation
Medusa will increase security to the Afghan people and prevent the
intimidation that is the trademark of the Taliban," said Army Maj. Gen. Ben
Freakley, commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force 76.

The combined U.S., NATO and Afghan operations "will replace Taliban
violence and threats with a future for the Afghan people," Freakley said.
He noted that the Taliban offers "nothing of value" for the Afghan
people.

Mountain Fury also aims to promote economic growth and development
across its area of operations, officials said. Almost $44 million in
construction funds have been allocated to build 26 new district government
buildings, 77 road and bridge projects, 34 health-care programs, 23
electrical power projects, 85 schools, 30 agricultural programs and 120
civic projects.

Freakley expressed scorn over the Taliban's cowardly operations
methods. "The Taliban exert their will almost exclusively on defenseless
Afghans where adequate security is not present," he said.

Operation Mountain Fury will continue, he said, "until the conditions
of bringing security, construction and growth are met" for the Afghan
people.

The Afghan people want peace and security, he said, and are tired of
war. "They want what their government is capable of providing: security,
employment, education and a better way of life," the general said.

In other Afghanistan news, three improvised explosive devices were
discovered and turned in in Gayen, Khowst City, and Janek-Kehl Sept. 14,
according to U.S. officials. The Afghan Army found one device, the police
the second, and a concerned Afghan citizen reported the location of
another to Afghan soldiers.

"We can secure and dispose of these harmful devices that are being used
by the Taliban to kill innocent civilians," said Lt. Col. Paul
Fitzpatrick, Combined Joint Task Force 76 spokesperson.

Afghan National Police found more bombs Sept. 12 in the Nadir Shah Kot
district of Khost province in eastern Afghanistan. The police
confiscated two mortar rounds that were later disposed of by coalition forces.

The Afghan police are becoming more adept at identifying Taliban-placed
IEDs, U.S. officials said.

In other news, American GIs with the 10th Mountain Division escorted
three trucks filled with food, water and other supplies to the Andar
District Center in Gazni province.

The Americans who rode shotgun with the supply convoy are part of the
10th's 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment.

Traveling on rough terrain through darkness, the 2-87's soldiers helped
the convoy to successfully deliver its cargo without enemy disruption.

The Gazni area experienced Taliban influence due to little Afghan
government control, officials said. Afghan National Army and U.S. forces
recently moved in to secure the area and stop Taliban intimidation of the
local people.

The supplies will be used to assist in standing up a new district
center adjacent to existing one.

Leaders of the 101st Airborne
Division (Air Assault) and Task Force Band of Brothers marked the
division's return here from Iraq by uncasing the unit colors in a homecoming
ceremony Sept. 15.

Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Turner, division commander, and Command Sgt. Maj.
Frank Grippe, division command sergeant major, reported to 18th Airborne
Corps Commander, Lt. Gen. John Vines, and uncased the unit colors.

Thousands of "Screaming Eagle" soldiers who formed Task Force Band of
Brothers, alongside several other units, have returned over the past few
weeks from their yearlong deployment in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom.

More than 1,000 soldiers returned Sept. 15, which marked the return of
over 11,000 soldiers and half of the division.

"We are proud of what the division has accomplished over the past year
in northern Iraq," said Turner. "But, we return with no illusions about
this war. We are home to prepare for our next rendezvous."

With reintegration as the next step for the 101st, Turner acknowledged
the soldiers who helped accomplish the mission for Iraq and the global
war on terrorism.

"You, the American soldier, you are the most precious system we have,"
Turner said. "There is nothing heading our way on a ship or a plane
more critical to winning this war than you. You have learned over the past
year that it is not the technology or latest equipment that sees you
through, it's the Screaming Eagle on your left and right that assured
victory."

While in Iraq, Task Force Band of Brothers, based in Tikrit, was
responsible for operations in Multinational Division North, which included
nearly all of the country's land north of Baghdad.

During the deployment, soldiers trained thousands of Iraqi security
forces personnel and helped rebuild Iraqi infrastructure by providing
operational assistance and security. Civil operations helped rebuild
schools, provided job assistance for Iraqis and promoted economic growth for
the region.

Two Iraqi army divisions also assumed responsibility for security in
their respective areas with the help of Task Force Band of Brothers.

With two 101st brigade combat teams, the 2nd and 4th BCTs, still in
Iraq under Task Force Baghdad, Turner looks forward to their arrival back
to Fort Campbell through November.

"We pray for the safe returns of those Screaming Eagle brother and
sisters still engaged in Iraq," Turner said.

The 25th Infantry Division from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, assumed
responsibility of Multinational Division North from Task Force Band of
Brothers Sep. 13 in Tikrit on Contingency Operating Base Speicher.

In response to an alert from the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration, the Defense Commissary Agency is advising its
customers not to eat any bagged fresh spinach. The FDA alert, dated
yesterday, warns that the bagged spinach "may be a possible cause" of the
confirmed outbreak of E. coli.

"The health and safety of our patrons and employees is always a top
priority with the Defense Commissary Agency," Patrick B. Nixon, the
agency's director, said. "We urge everyone to take this alert seriously and
avoid any consumption of bagged spinach. We also advise everyone to
continue to monitor their local media and the Food Safety area of our Web
site, www.commissaries.com, for more information."

As a precaution, in light of the FDA advisory, DeCA has directed its
commissaries to immediately remove from their shelves all fresh spinach
and any salad mix that contains spinach as an ingredient.

E. coli O157:H7 can cause diarrhea and, in some cases, lead to kidney
failure through a condition known as Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. HUS
particularly affects young children and the elderly. In more severe cases,
HUS can lead to serious kidney damage and possible death. Thus far, one
death and eight cases of HUS have been linked to the E. coli outbreak.
In all, some 50 cases of illness have been reported to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.

The FDA has identified the outbreak in eight states: Connecticut,
Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin.

Anyone who feels they may have symptoms of illness related to eating
bagged spinach should contact their local health care provider immediately.

Five-time Grammy Award-winning
singer/songwriter Gloria Estefan made a trip to the Norfolk-based aircraft carrier
USS Theodore Roosevelt yesterday to promote the military's "United
Through Reading" literacy program by singing and reading to children of
military families.

"It is through this program that children can remain in contact with
their deployed parents and always have a fresh image of them, knowing
they are okay," said Betty Mohlenbrock, founder and president of the
Family Literacy Foundation and creator of United Through Reading.

The event was sponsored by Target, a major supporter of the Family
Literacy Foundation and United Through Reading. Festivities took place in
the ship's hangar bay, which was transformed into a "Winter Wonderland"
with enormous glacier-like props scattered around a stage.

United Through Reading is a member of the Defense Department's America
Supports You program, which highlights corporate and grassroots support
of U.S. military members and their families.

Estefan explained how she found her calling as a singer when as a young
child she would record herself playing guitar and singing. She then
sent the audio tapes to her father, who was serving in Vietnam. Her father
would listen to the recordings and reply with an audio tape of his own.

"Everyday I would run to the mailbox hoping for another tape," Estefan
said. "I loved the sound of my dad's voice."

As a facet of the Family Literacy Foundation, United Through Reading
allows deployed military parents to stay in contact with their children
by recording themselves reading books on video and sending DVDs or VHS
tapes home to their families.

During the ceremony, Navy Vice Adm. Mark Fitzgerald, commander of U.S.
2nd Fleet, and Theodore Roosevelt Commanding Officer Capt. J.R. Haley
expressed their appreciation of United Through Reading and acknowledged
the important role it offers servicemembers and their families.

"This program ensures a healthy family environment," Fitzgerald said.
"It encourages sailors as they realize how important it is for their
kids to see and hear them when they are away."

Estefan sang along with one of the audio recordings she sent to her
father from more than 40 years ago during last night's ceremony. She then
read her new children's book, "The Magically Mysterious Adventures of
Noelle the Bulldog," to the crowd.

"We want all kids to enjoy the experience of their parents reading
aloud," Mohlenbrock said. "Reading aloud to children is very important for
their success in school and the rest of their lives.

The wife of a sailor deployed to the Persian Gulf was given a surprise
during the ceremony.

Lisa McCarthy received a video recording of her husband, Lt. John
McCarthy, a catapult officer or "shooter" deployed aboard the Norfolk-based
aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. The message was beamed over two large
screens situated on each side of the stage.

A strong supporter of United Through Reading, Lisa and her daughters,
3-year-old Sarah and 2-year-old Mary, have been sending books to John
since he deployed more than four months ago. Since being deployed, John
has sent home two videos of himself reading Sarah and Mary's favorite
books.
30.

In the video at yesterday's ceremony, John first said hello and
expressed his love to his wife and daughters, then spoke of his appreciation
for United Through Reading, explaining how it helps bring his family
together while they are apart.

"It was a wonderful surprise for me, and it was really great for my
kids to see their dad's face, even though he is on the other side of the
world," Lisa said.

Newly promoted Navy Lt. Cmdr. Abuhena M.
Saifulislam had always wanted to serve Islam, even as a young boy
growing up in Bangladesh.

"Islam is not just a religion to Muslims. It is a way of life,"
Saifulislam said. "That's how I was brought up."

Saifulislam, now 44, realized his dream. Today, he tends to
servicemembers' spiritual needs as the second Muslim chaplain commissioned in the
U.S. Navy. His current duty station is Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.

Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England promoted Saifulislam during a
Sept. 11 Pentagon ceremony.

Saifulislam also received a Joint Service Commendation Medal, his
second, for his work this June at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
There, he performed death rites for three Muslim detainees who'd
committed suicide.

The Muslim chaplain was also at Guantanamo when the detention facility
first opened in early 2001. He was the only Muslim chaplain there at
the time, he recalled, and he set up the diet and prayer regimes for the
detainees.

Saifulislam took an indirect path to his current calling.

He immigrated to the United States in 1989, after earning a Master's
degree in commerce in Bangladesh. He enlisted in the Navy as a payroll
specialist in 1992 with dreams of becoming an officer - something he
couldn't yet do because he wasn't a U.S. citizen.

Saifulislam became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1995. Three years
later, he signed up for a chaplain's candidate program that offered a
commission as well as a way to serve his fellow Muslims' spiritual needs.

"When I came to America I realized that I had to make an effort to be
faithful to my religion," he said.

People shouldn't associate the worship of Islam with the so-called
religious theology espoused by terrorists like Osama bin Laden, Saifulislam
said. "Terrorism has no religion, and no religion condones terrorism,"
he said. "These terrorists just happen to be Muslims."

Saifulislam's personal loyalty is firmly aligned with his adopted
country, he said, noting his 6-year-old daughter was born in the United
States.

"My wife is an American; my sister is an American; my nephews and
nieces are Americans," he said. "If I don't defend them, who is going to
defend them?"

Today, 8 to 10 million Muslims live in the United States. "They love to
live in this country, and other Muslims are trying to come here,"
Saifulislam said. U.S. Muslims are as patriotic as any other group, he said.

Many of the world's troubles today seem to be caused by cultural
misunderstandings, Saifulislam observed.

"The world is becoming so small," he pointed out. "It is not a choice
that we learn how to live together -- it is a necessity. It is always to
our advantage when we learn about others."

Terrorism is evil and teaches nothing but destruction and death as it
seeks to divide the world's people, Saifulislam said.

That's why he said he's committed to preventing Islam from being
subverted to serve the terrorists' agenda. "My fight with them is to protect
my religion from that type of hijacking," Saifulislam concluded.

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Ryan A. Miller, 19, of Pearland, Texas, died Sept. 14 while
conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar province, Iraq.He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

 

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. David T. Weir, 23, of Cleveland, Tenn., died on Sept. 14 in
Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries suffered on Sept. 13 when he encountered enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire during combat operations. Weir was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Harley D. Andrews, 22, of Weimar, Calif., died on Sept. 11 in Ar
Ramadi, Iraq, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. Andrews was
assigned to the 54th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, Warner
Barracks, Bamberg, Germany.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. David J. Ramsey, 27, of Tacoma, Wash., was medically evacuated
from Iraq on Aug. 24 and died from a non-combat related incident on Sept.
7 in Spanaway, Wash.Ramsey was assigned to the 47th Combat Support
Hospital, 62nd Medical Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.

This incident is under investigation.

 

A suicide car bomber killed two Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers and wounded 30 others around 2:50 p.m. yesterday west of Baghdad, Multinational Corps Iraq officials said

. Army Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, announced in a briefing to Pentagon reporters today that one soldier is missing following that attack, but he gave no further details. Command officials said the soldier is officially listed as "duty status whereabouts unknown." The explosion caused debris to be scattered into a concentrated troop area. The wounded soldiers were evacuated by helicopter to a military hospital. Of those injured, one was listed as very seriously injured, one seriously injured, 17 not seriously injured, and eleven were returned to duty, officials said. In a separate incident later yesterday, a Multinational Division Baghdad soldier was killed around 9 p.m. when an improvised-explosive device exploded near his dismounted patrol northwest of Baghdad. Elsewhere, one Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 7 died today from enemy action in Anbar province. Officials identified two soldiers who died supporting the global war on terror. Army Capt. Matthew C. Mattingly, 30, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, died Sept. 13 in Mosul, Iraq, when he encountered enemy forces using small-arms fire during combat operations. Mattingly was assigned to 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. Army Sgt. Jeremy E. DePottey, 26, of Ironwood, Mich., died Sept. 11 in Asadabad, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered in a single-vehicle accident. DePottey was assigned to 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

 The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Capt. Matthew C. Mattingly, 30, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, died on Sept. 13 in Mosul, Iraq, when he encountered enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations. Mattingly was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

 The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Sgt. Jeremy E. DePottey, 26, of Ironwood, Mich., died on Sept. 11 in Asadabad, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered in a single vehicle accident. DePottey was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. The incident is under investigation.

 CONTRACTS

NAVY

Donley-Kirlin JV*, Rockville, Md.; FEMCO, Inc.*, Washington, D.C.;
Grunley/Goel JV*, Landover, Md. and Allen & Shariff/GDI JV*,
Bladensburg, Md., will be awarded a firm-fixed price, indefinite-quantity
multiple award construction contract for stand alone construction and/or
design/build projects at various Navy and federal government installations
in the Washington metropolitan area. The total contract amount is not to
exceed $250,000,000 (base period and four option years). Work will be
performed in Washington D.C. (50 percent); Maryland (25 percent) and
Virginia (25 percent), and work is expected to be completed September
2011. The initial task order is awarded to Grunley/Goel JV for window
replacement in buildings 2 and 5, Chesapeake Bay Detachment, Naval Research
Laboratory. Work will be performed in Chesapeake Beach, Md., and work
is expected to be completed by February 2007. Contract funds will expire
at the end of the current fiscal year. The basic contract was
competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command
e-solicitation website with 30 offers received. The multiple contractors
(four in number) may compete for task orders under the terms and
conditions of the existing contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command
Washington, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity
(N40080-06-D-0004).

Northrop Grumman Newport News Corp., Newport News, Va., is being
awarded a $142,812,292 fixed-price-incentive delivery order modification to
previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract
(N00024-04-D-4409) for accomplishment of the Depot Modernization Period
(DMP) for USS Toledo (SSN 769). The DMP allows necessary maintenance and
equipment upgrades to enable SSN 769 to continue to be mission capable.
Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be
completed by February 2008. Contract funds in the amount of $124,017,029,
will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of
Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, USN, Newport News, Va., is the
contracting activity.

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Suffolk, Va., is being
awarded $98,690,289 modification under previously awarded cost plus
fixed fee provisions contract (N00140-04-D-0195) to provide services in
support of the U.S. Joint Forces Command's Joint Experimentation Program
and Joint Futures Lab. Work will be performed in Suffolk, Va., and is
expected to be completed July 2008. Contract funds will not expire by the
end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured
with an estimated 30 proposals solicited, with one offers received. The
Fleet and Industrial Supply Center, Norfolk, Contracting Department,
Philadelphia Office is the contracting activity.

Archer Western Contractor, Ltd., Atlanta, Ga., is being awarded a
$39,499,000 firm-fixed price, construction contract to design/build market
style apartments, Naval Station, Norfolk, Va. The project will provide
design and construction for Market Style Apartments that provide the
Navy with a safe, energy efficient, durable/low maintenance facility with
amenities and features that provides a functional environment for the
bachelor enlisted sailors. Related work includes remote parking, site
development, landscaping, demolition of existing facilities, on-site and
off-site storm drainage and incidental related work. Work will be
performed in Norfolk, Va., and is expected to be completed by September
2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
The contract was competitively procured with 52 proposals solicited and
eight offers received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command,
Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity
(N40085-06-D-6055).

BAE Systems Land & Armaments, L.P., Armament Systems Division,
Minneapolis, Minn., is being awarded a $15,628,033 fixed-price, award-fee
modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-5454) for
procurement of FY 06 MK 13 MOD 0 Canisters for FY06 Navy, Foreign Military
Sales, and Memorandum of Understanding with Foreign Government
requirements, including packaging, handling, storage, and transportation
equipment, and FY 06 Reconfigurable Coding Plug Assemblies. MK 13 canisters
for the MK 41 Vertical Launching System store, transport in safety, and
enable loading of Tomahawk missiles into the MK 41 Vertical Launching
Systems aboard DDG-51 Class and CG-47 Class ships. Work will be performed
in Aberdeen, S.D., and is expected to be completed by January 2008.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This
modification supports requirements for the Navy (16 percent) the
Governments of Japan (30 percent) and South Korea (25 percent) under
the Foreign Military Sales program and the Governments of Germany (20
percent) and The Netherlands (9 percent) under the Memorandum of
Understanding. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the
contracting activity.

Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $10,590,866
cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for development of multi-mode sensor technology and
designs capable of operating on an unmanned air vehicle asset or
missile. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be
completed in January 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the
current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under a
Broad Agency Announcement, with one offer received. The Naval Air Warfare
Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting
activity (N68936-06-C-0082).

DTC Engineers and Constructors, LLC*, North Haven, Conn.; R. N. Rouse
& Co., Inc., Cary, N.C; Virtexco Corporation, Norfolk, Va.; and
Tesoro Corporation, Virginia Beach, Va., are being awarded an
indefinite-quantity design build multiple award construction contract (MACC) for new
construction, renovation, alteration, and repairs for construction
projects in the North Carolina area. DTC Engineers & Construction, LLC*
is being awarded the initial firm-fixed-price task order in the amount
of $7,190,048 (including the minimum guarantee) for Ammunition Supply
Point Upgrade (Ph2) at the Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Work
will include labor, materials, and equipment necessary to design and
construct two reinforced concrete, above ground, small arms magazines and
four reinforced concrete earth covered magazines (ECMs) with earthen
barricades and pallet and equipment staging areas. Work for this task
order is expected to be completed by September 2007 and will be
performed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. The remaining three contractors are
being awarded the minimum guarantee of $5,000. The total contract amount,
including options, is not to exceed $100,000,000, with a guaranteed
minimum of $5,000 per contractor, for the full term of the contract. Work
will be performed in the North Carolina area including Marine Corps
Base, Camp Lejeune; Marine Corps Air Station, New River; and Marine Corps
Air Station, Cherry Point. The base period work is expected to be
completed by September 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of
the current fiscal year. The MACC contract was competitively procured
with 119 offers solicited, 19 proposals received, and award made to four
contractors. These four contractors may compete for task orders under
the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities
Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting
activity (N40085-06-D-4008 through N40085-06-D-4011).

Bell-Boeing Joint Program Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a
$6,782,491 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee
contract (N00019-03-C-0067) to stand up an additional site at Hurlburt
Air Force Base for developmental and operational testing of the CV-22
aircraft. In addition, this modification provides for sustainment
support for five additional CV-22 aircraft. Work will be performed at
Hurlburt Air Force Base, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and is expected to be
completed in December 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the
current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River,
Md., is the contracting activity.

AIR FORCE

Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $112,878,214
firm-fixed-price contract modification to provide for 12 AIM-120D AMRAAM Air
Vehicles Instrumented (AAVIs), 50 AIM-120D Captive Air Training Missile,
104 AIM-120C7 AMRAAM Air Vehicles, 112 Non-Developmental Item, Airborne
Instrumentation Units (NDI-AIUs), proposal preparation, L3
Communications Pulse Code Modulation, Encoder Qualification Non-Recurring Expense,
NDI-AIU Test Equipment Upgrade and option for AIM-120 D production
transition. At this time, total funds have been obligated. Headquarters
Medium Range Missile Systems Group, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the
contracting activity (FA8675-06-C-0003/P00003).

CSC Applied Technologies, LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a
$52,635,579 firm-fixed-price award fee contract modification to provide
for operation and maintenance for Vance Air Force Base, Okla., in
support of T-37/T-38/T-1A/T-38C/T-6 undergraduate pilot training for the
sixth and final option year, 1 Oct., 2006 through 30 Sept., 2007. At this
time, $13,158,896 have been obligated. This work will be complete
September 2007. Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base,
Texas, is the contracting activity (F41689-00-C-0503/P00066).

ARTEC Alaska, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, is being awarded a
$33,245,887 firm-fixed-price award fee with cost reimbursement line items
contract modification. This action provides for operation and
maintenance of the Alaska Radar System consisting of 17 remote radar sites for a
12-month period. At this time, total funds have been obligated. This
work will be complete by September 2007. Pacific Air Forces, Elmendorf
Air Force Base, Alaska, is the contracting activity (FA5000-04-C-0011).

Lear Siegler Service Inc., Austin, Texas, is being awarded a
$29,432,950 fixed-price-incentive firm-target with award fee contract
modification to provide for Aircraft maintenance and related services in support
of Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training; maintaining T-37, T-38A, and
T-38C aircraft at Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls, Texas. At this
time, total funds have been obligated. This work will be complete
September 2007. Air Education and Training Command, Sheppard Air Force Base,
Texas, is the contracting activity (F41689-01-C-0029/P00103).

Westest Engineering Corp., Farmington, Utah, is being awarded a
$27,000,000 indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity firm-fixed-price contract
to provide for the development of a new and re-hosting of existing test
program sets and interface test adapters, orientation and material
including but not limited to, labor, expertise management, and facilities
as required to perform tasks in accordance with specific task orders for
the digital automatic test station for several weapon systems test
sets. At this time, no funds have been obligated. Solicitations began
January 2006 and negotiations were complete September 2006. This work will
be complete June 2011. 75th Contracting Squadron, Hill Air Force Base,
Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8201-06-D-0009).

Lockheed Martin Integrated Technology, Wakefield, Mass., is being
awarded a $12,028,749 firm-fixed price contract to provide for counter
terrorism and force protection. At this time, total funds have been
obligated. This work will be complete September 2007. 6th Air Mobility Wing,
Macdill Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity
[(F08602-02-A-0023 (BPA)/FA4814-06-F-A379 (DO)].

General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactics Systems, Marion, Ill., is being
awarded a $9,274,144 firm-fixed-price contract. This is a performance
based hybrid services contract which requires the contractor to provide
assembling services and procure ammunition links, clips and the
necessary packaging material to re-package 30mm high explosive incendiary
ammunition, from the current A-10 packaging configuration into linked and
clipped configurations in support of the Air Force Special Operations
Command, AC-130/U Gun Ship 30mm modification. At this time, total funds
have been obligated. Solicitations began July 2006 and negotiations were
complete August 2006. This work will be complete August 2007.
Headquarters Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the
contracting activity. (FA8213-06-C-0105)

The NORDAM Group, Tulsa, Okla., is being awarded a $10,253,236
firm-fixed-price, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to provide
for canted frame assembly in support of the B52H aircraft. At this time,
$2,181,255 have been obligated. Solicitations began April 2006 and
negotiations were complete August 2006. This work will be complete July
2010. Headquarters Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker Air Force
Base, Okla., is the contracting activity (F34601-06-D-0032).

AA Food Services Inc., Corinth, Miss., is being awarded a $7,940,298
firm-fixed-price contract modification to provide for full food service
at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. At this time, total funds have been
obligated. Solicitations began January 2006 and negotiations were complete
September 2006. This work will be complete September 2007. Air
Education and Training Command, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., is the
contracting activity (F22600-03-D-0003/P00064).

GKN Aerospace Chem-Tronics Inc., El Cajon, Calif., is being awarded a
$6,007,500 firm-fixed-price contract to provide for chem. Mill front fan
duct, 135 each in support of the F100/200/220E PW engine. At this time,
total funds have been obligated. Solicitations began April 2006 and
negotiations were complete June 2006. This work will be complete 15 month,
12 months after receipt of contract. Delivery will continue ata rate of
15 ea per month until completion. Headquarters Oklahoma City Air
Logistics Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity
(FA8103-06-C-0240).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Georgia Power Co., Atlanta, Ga., is being awarded a maximum $70,843,235
firm fixed price contract for ownership, operation, and maintenance of
the electrical distribution system at Fort Gordon for Army. This
contract has a 50-year contract period. There were 70 proposals solicited and
2 responded. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current
fiscal year. Date of performance completion is 2057. Contracting
activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va.
(SP0600-06-C-8250).

ARMY

Hensel Phelps Construction, Greeley, Colo., was awarded on Sept. 13,
2006, a $31,200,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction
of brigade and battalion headquarters buildings. Work will be performed
at Fort Carson, Colo., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 8, 2007.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
There were 60 bids solicited on May 12, 2006, and nine bids were
received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Neb., is the contracting
activity (W9128F-06-C-0042).

O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt Armoring Co., Fairfield, Ohio, was awarded
on Sept. 13, 2006, a $19,961,274 modification to an undefinitized
contract action for up-armored high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicles.
Work will be performed in Fairfield, Ohio, and is expected to be
completed by Feb. 28, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the
current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on April
10, 2000. The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Warren,
Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE07-00-C-S019).

Structural Associates Inc.*, Watertown, N.Y., was awarded on Sept. 13,
2006, a $19,488,800 firm-fixed-price contract for the jet fuel storage,
hydrant system, and parking apron. Work will be performed in
Martinsburg, W.V., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 16, 2007. Contract
funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were an
unknown number of bids solicited via the World Wide Web on March 17,
2006, and three bids were received. The U.S. Property and Fiscal Office,
Buckhannon, W.V., is the contracting activity (W912L8-06-C-0003).

Barnard and Sons*, Mendenhall, Miss., was awarded on Sept. 13, 2006, a
$6,464,091 firm-fixed-price contract for replacement of airfield damage
and repair of training site. Work will be performed in Gulfport, Miss.,
and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2007. Contract funds will
not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were an unknown
number of bids solicited via the World Wide Web on Dec. 5, 2006, and
two bids were received. The U.S. Property and Fiscal Office, Jackson,
Miss., is the contracting activity (W9127Q-06-C-0002).

DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY

MCI Telecommunications Corp, Vienna, VA, a large business, was awarded
a contract modification for $5.7 million on 14 Sept., 2006. The
modification incorporates a settlement agreement for the delay and disruption
claim submitted under the Defense Switched Bandwidth Manager - CONUS
contract (DCA200-96-D-0096). Funds used for this settlement will be used
for Defense Working Capital Funds. The contracting activity is The
Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Contracting
Division, Transport and Satellite Branch, Procurement Section, Scott Air
Force Base, Ill. Point of contact is June P. Tharp, Contracting Officer,
(618) 229-9723.

CONTRACTS

ARMY

Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, was awarded on Sept. 11, 2006, a
$285,379,911 firm-fixed-price contract for production of the improved target
acquisition system. Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas, and is
expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2012. Contract funds will not
expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source
contract initiated on Dec. 22, 2005. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile
Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity
(W31P4Q-06-C-0490).

Hensel Phelps Construction, Greeley, Colo., was awarded on Sept. 13,
2006, a $31,200,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design and
construction of brigade and battalion headquarters buildings. Work will be
performed at Fort Carson, Colo., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 8,
2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal
year. There were 60 bids solicited on May 12, 2006, and nine bids were
received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Neb., is the
contracting activity (W9128F-06-C-0042).

O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt Armoring Co., Fairfield, Ohio, was
awarded on Sept. 13, 2006, a $19,961,274 modification to an undefinitized
contract action for Up-Armored High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled
Vehicles. Work will be performed in Fairfield, Ohio, and is expected to be
completed by Feb. 28, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of
the current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on
April 10, 2000. The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command,
Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE07-00-C-S019).

Structural Associates Inc.*, Watertown, N.Y., was awarded on Sept. 13,
2006, a $19,488,800 firm-fixed-price contract for the Jet Fuel Storage,
Hydrant System, and Parking Apron. Work will be performed in
Martinsburg, W.V., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 16, 2007. Contract
funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were an
unknown number of bids solicited via the World Wide Web on March 17,
2006, and three bids were received. The U.S. Property and Fiscal Office,
Buckhannon, W.V., is the contracting activity (W912L8-06-C-0003).

Barnard and Sons*, Mendenhall, Miss., was awarded on Sept. 13, 2006, a
$6,464,091 firm-fixed-price contract for replacement of airfield damage
and repair of training site. Work will be performed in Gulfport, Miss.,
and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2007. Contract funds will
not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were an unknown
number of bids solicited via the World Wide Web on Dec. 5, 2006, and
two bids were received. The U.S. Property and Fiscal Office, Jackson,
Miss., is the contracting activity (W9127Q-06-C-0002).

NAVY

Roy Anderson Corp, Gulfport, Miss. is being awarded a firm-fixed-price
contract for $65,160,000 for work at the Naval Construction Battalion
Center, Gulfport, Miss. The work will includes P-817 Auto Vehicle
Training Shop - consisting of demolition of 5,000 square feet (SF) and a new
4,047 SF bay addition to the existing SEABEE Equipment Maintenance
Facility; P-784 Disaster Recovery Training - consisting of demolition of
nine buildings (26,116 SF) and consolidation into one 22,884 SF facility
including administrative and instructional spaces; P-826 Armory -
consisting of demolition of 11,200 SF of demolition and a new 16006 SF small
arms armory; P-783 NCTC Training Complex - consisting of the demolition
of nine buildings (42,830 SF), the renovation of 8,869 SF and providing
a 43,347 SF facility to consolidate functions into one academic
instruction; P-781 Steelworkers Training- consisting of demolition of 13,364
SF and consolidation into a 30,785 SF applied instruction
facility and training material storage area; P-782 Builders Applied
Instruction - consisting of demolition of 10 buildings (45,130 SF) and the
consolidation into one 45,302 SF applied instruction building; P-810
Tactical Training Facility - consisting of demolition of 13,841 SF and
the consolidation into a new 60,601 SF facility; and P-816 Consolidated
Professional Development - consisting of demolition of 13,500 SF and the
consolidation of personnel into a new 30,300 SF administrative
facility. Work will be performed in Gulfport, Miss. and is expected to be
completed by May 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the
current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured via the Naval
Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website as a Two Phase
Design Build with seven contractors proposing in Phase I. Four of the
seven contractors were determined to be in the competitive range and
proceeded to Phase II. Two proposals were received in Phase II. The
Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, North Charleston,
South Carolina, is the contracting activity
(N62467-06-C-0069)
Parsons Infrastructure & Technology Group, Inc., Fairfax, Va., is
being awarded a not-to-exceed $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price,
indefinite-quantity contract for architect engineering services for professional
planning and engineering services. Work will be performed in Naval
Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic's area of responsibility
and worldwide. Although the professional planning and engineering
services will be worldwide, the majority of the work under this contract is
expected to be in the continental U.S. Work is expected to be completed
by September 2007. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current
fiscal year. This contract was competitively on NAVFAC electronic
solicitation website with 13 proposals received. The Naval Facilities
Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity
(N62470-06-D-7117).

Global A 1st Flagship Co., Irvine, Calif., is being awarded an
$11,019,214 cost-plus-award-fee contract to operate and maintain the Naval Sea
Systems Command Inactive Ships On-Site Maintenance Office at
Philadelphia, Pa.. These services include the alteration work such as receipt,
inspection, survey, maintenance and & disposal of Naval vessels. The
contract includes four one-year option periods, which if exercised,
would bring the total value of the contract to $ $54,082,054. Work will be
performed in Philadelphia, Pa. (85 percent); Norfolk, Va. (7.5
percent); and Newport, R.I. (7.5 percent), and is expected to be completed by
September 2007. Contract funds will not expire before the end of the
contract ordering period. This contract was competitively procured with
eight offers received. The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Norfolk,
Philadelphia Division, is the contracting activity (N00140-07-C-0005).

Facchina Global Services, LLC*, La Plata, Md., is being awarded a
$9,998,682 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the
procurement of secure video teleconferencing systems, components, and
software, with associated installation, integration, and training support for
various Department of Defense and Federal agencies. Work will be
performed in La Plata, Md. (80 percent) and at various locations inside and
outside the United States (20 percent), and is expected to be completed
in September 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the
current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The
Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the
contracting activity (N00421-06-D-0035).

Douglas E. Barnhart, Inc. San Diego, Calif., is being awarded
$8,883,740 for firm-fixed-price Task Order #0006 under previously awarded
multiple award construction contract (MACC) (N68711-02-D-8015) for repair of
barracks, Building 554, Phase Five, at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San
Diego, Calif. The project also included four options. Option One - all
work associated with removing and replacing existing domestic hot
water, generators and heating hot water pumps and heat exchangers. Option
Two - all work associated with the repair of the drill instructor
toilet/shower rooms. Option three - all work associated with the replacement
of the Squad Bay electrical panels and related modifications to the
panel main feeders within the Squad Bay rooms. Option four- replace all
existing smoke detectors, manual pull stations, associated wiring, and
fire alarm control panel with a new fully addressable alarm system. Work
will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be
completed by May 2007. Contract funds will expire at the end of the
current fiscal year. The basic contract amount is not to exceed
$150,000,000 (base period and four option years). The MACC contractors (4 in
number) may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the
existing contract. Two proposals were received for this task order. The
Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest Division, San Diego,
California, is the contracting activity.

The John C. Grimberg Company, Inc., Rockville, Md., is being awarded
$8,495,000 for firm-fixed-price Task Order #0010 for under previously
awarded multiple award design/build construction contract
(N62477-04-D-0012) for Joint Counter Improvised Explosive Devices Laboratory, Project
Number P-187, Stump Neck Annex, Indian Head, Md. This project
constructs an addition to and modernizes Building 2015 at the Naval Explosive
Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Stump Neck Annex, Indian Head, Md.
The complete facility consists of a high bay area, computing area,
office, meeting, and storage spaces. It is designed to handle open storage
of classified material and to provide secure connectivity with
intelligence agencies and operational elements deployed world-wide. Work will
be performed at the Stump Neck Annex, Indian Head, Md. and is expected
to be completed by February 2008. Contract funds will expire at the end
of the fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command
(NAVFAC) Washington multiple award construction contract was
competitively procured via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website with award made to
six contractors. Two proposals were received for this Task Order. Naval
Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting
activity.

BAE Systems Technical Services, Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is
being awarded a $5,831,051 firm-fixed-price requirements contract for
ammunition storage handling and management services. The contract contains
four one-year option periods, which, if exercised, would bring the total
value of the contract to $28,882,684. Work will be performed at Naval
Magazine Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, and is expected to
be completed by September 2011. Contract funds will expire at the end
of the current fiscal year. This contract was awarded competitively
through Navy Electronic Commerce Online, with two offers received. The
Regional Contracting Department, Fleet and Industrial Supply Center, Pearl
Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N00604-06-C-0018).

Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis., is
being awarded a $5,378,827 firm-fixed-price contract for administrative
support services for the Training Support Command, Great Lakes, Ill. This
contract includes one base year and four one-year options that, if
exercised, bring the total estimated value of the contract to $27,326,745.
Work will be performed in Great Lakes, Ill., and work is expected to be
completed by September 2011. Contract funds will not expire before the
end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not awarded
competitively. The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Norfolk Detachment
Philadelphia is the contracting activity (N00140-07-C-0004).

URS Group, Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a maximum
$5,000,000 firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity
architect/engineering contract for architectural and engineering services for
the preparation of Navy and Marine Corps planning and environmental
documentation and services, with the primary focus on plans, studies, and
events such as design charrettes. This contract contains options, which
if exercised, will bring the total contact to a not to exceed value of
$7,500,000. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps
bases in the western United States including California, Arizona, Nevada,
New Mexico, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Washington, Montana, and Utah. Work
is expected to be completed by September 2011. Contract funds will
expire at the end of the fiscal year. The contract was issued as an
unrestricted procurement on Naval Facilities Engineering Command's electronic
solicitation website with 10 proposals received. The Naval
Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the
contracting activity (N62473-06-D-1048).

AIR FORCE

Computer Sciences Corp., Applied Technologies LLC, Fort Worth, Texas,
is being awarded a $61,053,236 cost-plus-incentive fee contract
modification to provide for Base Operating Support Services. At this time,
$42,727,829 have been obligated. This work will be complete September
2007. 42d Air Base Wing, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., is the contracting
activity. (F41689-01-C-0006/P00221)

GKN Aerospace Chem-Tronics Inc., El Cajon, Calif., is being awarded a
$23,997,600 firm-fixed-price contract to provide for Chemical Mill
Front Fan Duct, 303 each, in support of the F100/200 PW engine. At this
time, total funds have been obligated. Solicitations began May 2006 and
negotiations were complete September 2006. Headquarters Oklahoma City Air
Logistics Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting
activity. (FA8104-05-C-0248)

Federal Express, El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded a $17,704,603
fixed-price requirements with economic price adjustment contract to
provide for door-to-door services for international cargo movement of
perishable items for the Defense Commissary Agency and the Defense Logistics
Agency, parent organization of the Defense Supply Center, Philadelphia.
An average of 8.5 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables for
commissaries and restaurants, and frozen foods, milk and dry subsistence
for re-stocking Navy ships, which is transported per year from San
Francisco to customers in Korea, Japan and Guam plus emergency shipments
throughout the Pacific. 80 percent of the shipments are to re-stock the
commissaries in the Pacific. At this time, no funds have been obligated.
Solicitations began June 2006 and negotiations were complete September
2006. This work will be complete September 2007. Headquarters Air
Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting
activity (FA4428-06-D-0018).

Essex Electro Engineers Inc., Schaumburg, Ill., is being awarded a
$6,254,480 firm-fixed-price contract. This requirement is to increase and
exercise the option quantities for the 72KW diesel generator set. The
exercised option requires the delivery of 148 of the diesel generator
set. At this time, total funds have been obligated. Solicitations began
June 2006 and negotiations were complete August 2006. This work will be
complete by September 2008. Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center,
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
(FA8519-04-D-00190004)

Teradyne Inc., North Reading, Mass., is being awarded a $5,864,198
firm-fixed-price contract to provide for Digital Stimulus/Measurement
System and Switching Subsystem components applicable to the Versatile Depot
Automatic Test Set. Various quantities of eight various automatic test
system components will be ordered. The basic period and three contract
options have been established for FY06 through FY09. At this time,
total funds have been obligated. Solicitations began August 2006 and
negotiations were complete September 2006. This work will be complete
September 2010. Headquarters Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins Air
Force Base, Ga., is the contracting activity. (FA8531-06-F-0027)

* Small Business

Spending 10 days ridding cattle of lice and worms is a job that would make many people squeamish. But for a U.S. Army Europe veterinary team deployed to exercise MEDFLAG '06, it came as a welcome change of pace.

 "In Germany we care just for dogs and cats," Army Pfc. Amy Brown, of the 30th Medical Brigade, said. "Here I get to work with large animals, and I'm in Africa. It can't get any better than this." Brown is part of a four-member team treating farm animals as part of Medical Task Force Benin, a group of 50 Army doctors, nurses and medics deployed from Europe and the states for MEDFLAG '06. The two-week-long exercise is supported by medical, dental and veterinary specialists from within active and reserve forces in Europe. Besides providing much-needed health care, the team also is teaching and training locals in Benin, Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal. They are learning a lot, as well. "This is my first experience working with large animals," Brown said. "I've never treated cattle before." Brown said traveling to small isolated farms and working with Beninese colleagues during the exercise has provided a better picture of animal husbandry, the soldier's future career of choice. "This is what I want to do," Brown said as he was applying an anti-parasitic chemical down the spine of a cow, one of 117 the team treated along with dogs, goats and sheep. "I want to be a large-animal tech, so this is breaking me in." The medication Brown applied repels insects and other pests and also soaks through the hide to destroy internal parasites. "You can look at these cattle and see that they have a lot of lice and almost everything else," Brown said. "The number-one thing their owners ask us to do is get rid of bugs." As unusual as this experience is for Brown, it is just as extraordinary for Beninese army veterinary technician Sgt. Goudjayi Guc. "This definitely is a very special occasion for us," he said, speaking through a translator. "Normally, because of the law, we remain on our posts to work with dogs and other animals that people bring in." During MEDFLAG '06 trips to remote sites, Guc is learning about various treatment techniques and livestock medications from his U.S. counterparts. These visits and treatments are helping Beninese farmers raise stronger, healthier animals -- something, Guc pointed out, they cannot afford to do otherwise. "This is huge for the community," he said. "Normally, if they wanted to do something like this, they would have to spend a lot of money. However, it's not just the African people who benefit from MEDFLAG '06; their U.S. visitors also gain a lot from the experience. "Humanitarian efforts are the only time we get to treat 'food animals,'" said Army Spc. Christopher Devriendt. "It is very rare that we get to undertake such actions in our job. It is a refreshing change of pace." Even with the atypical work, the veterinary team still is practicing many of its normal duties while deployed to western Africa. During two small-animal clinics held in nearby villages, they cared for hundreds of dogs and cats. And throughout the bustling work, the four U.S. soldiers swapped tips and techniques with their Beninese counterparts. "They have shown us some (animal-medicine procedures) that we did not know about," Devriendt said. "If we ever find ourselves in a situation without standard gear, we now have something to fall back on. This has been a real cultural exchange."

Two Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers were killed today in Iraq, and another soldier died yesterday.

Also, the Defense Department released the name of a previous casualty from the war on terror, U.S. military officials reported. One of the soldiers killed today died when his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb south of Baghdad, and the other died from wounds received when his unit was attacked by small-arms fire southeast of Baghdad, officials said. A soldier attached to the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, was wounded by enemy fire yesterday near Mosul. The soldier was transported to a military hospital, where he later died of wounds. The names of the soldiers are being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Also, the Defense Department released the name of a soldier previously killed supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael T. Fuga, 47, of Nuuli, American Samoa, died Sept. 9 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when he encountered enemy forces using small-arms fire. Fuga was assigned to the Army National Guard's 35th Special Troops Battalion, Kansas City, Mo.

As Americans pause today to observe POW/MIA Recognition Day tomorrow, teams of military and civilian experts will be excavating sites in Europe, South Korea, Solomon Islands, Alaska and Hawaii, looking for remains to help identify servicemembers still missing from past wars.

 Teams from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, based at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, will be on the job, working to provide the fullest possible accounting of America's missing and living up to their command's motto, "Until they are home." Additional teams are preparing for similar missions next month in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, said Maj. Brian DeSantis, a JPAC spokesman. POW/MIA Recognition Day honors the sacrifices America's missing servicemembers and their families have made for the country, Army Brig. Gen. Michael C. Flowers, JPAC's commander, told American Forces Press Service. But the day also offers an important reminder that the United States is committed to bringing its fallen servicemembers home so they can be returned to their families -- and it won't give up, no matter how long it takes or how difficult it might be, Flowers said. The joint POW/MIA command is among four military organizations committed to accounting for about 88,000 U.S. servicemembers missing from the nation's wars. They include about 78,000 missing from World War II, more than 8,100 from the Korean War, 1,801 from the Vietnam War and about 125 from the Cold War, Larry Greer, a spokesman for the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office here, said. In addition, Navy Capt. Scott Speicher, a Gulf War pilot, remains missing since his plane was shot down in Iraq in January 1991. Army Reserve Sgt. Keith "Matt" Maupin is the only U.S. servicemember missing in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Insurgents captured Maupin April 9, 2004, after his fuel convoy came under attack at Baghdad International Airport. In addition to JPAC, the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office here, the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory in Rockville, Md., and the Life Sciences Equipment Laboratory in San Antonio, actively contribute to determining the fate of these servicemembers and returning them home, Greer said. Each service also has an office that works directly with families of the missing throughout the accounting process, however long it takes, he said. Flowers said his command is committed to a mission that dates back to World War II and is now embodied in the U.S. military Code of Conduct. While most countries around the world bury their war dead where they fall, the United States promises its servicemembers that it will do everything in its power to bring them home. Working to fulfill that promise sends joint-service teams from JPAC to potential crash and burial sites around the world. "We go out worldwide to recover those who are missing or to find those who are missing so that families can have closure and so we can keep our promise to our soldiers and airmen and Marines and sailors that they will come home," Flowers said. Once remains are repatriated to Hickam Air Force Base, experts at the command's Central Identification Laboratory -- the world's largest forensic anthropology lab -- use the most advanced science available to match them to a specific missing servicemember. New breakthroughs, including the use of mitochondrial DNA in investigations, is helping the staff make identifications once not considered possible. So far, they've been able to successfully identify more than 1,000 missing from World War II, about 200 from the Korean War, 841 from the Vietnam War and 25 from the Cold War. Next week, JPAC expects to announce its first successful identification of a missing World War I servicemember, Greer said. Flowers said the resolve demonstrated in making these identifications sends a strong message to the nation's military members. "They can rest assured that as they go out to fight our nation's conflicts, that no matter what happens to them, if they were to fall in battle and not be recovered by their comrades, that someone will continue to look for them and not rest until we can bring them home," he said.

Detainee Transfer Announced The Department of Defense announced today that it transferred two detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Kuwait.

These detainees were recommended for transfer due to an Administrative Review Board decision at Guantanamo Bay. With today's transfer, approximately 130 detainees remain at Guantanamo who the U.S. government has determined eligible for transfer or release through a comprehensive series of review processes. Departure of these remaining detainees approved for transfer or release is subject to ongoing discussions between the United States and other nations. The United States does not desire to hold detainees for any longer than necessary. The department expects that there will continue to be other transfers and releases of detainees. There are ongoing processes to review the status of detainees held at Guantanamo. A determination about the continued detention or transfer of a detainee is based on the best information and evidence available at the time, both classified and unclassified. With this transfer, approximately 320 detainees have departed Guantanamo for other countries including Albania, Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, and Yemen. Approximately 455 detainees remain at Guantanamo.

Next time the munchies hit, Americans in some parts of the United States only need to look for the red, white and blue bag asking shoppers to "Support Our Troops." The bags of Support Our Troops tortilla chips are now available in all 105 Lowes Foods stores in both of the Carolinas and Virginia, Amy Palmer, national executive vice president of Operation Homefront, said. "Originally we did a market test on them, (and) they sold great, so we started pitching them to other stores," she said. "We're hoping to get them in other stores across the country." Don't look for the chips in commissaries anytime soon, though, Palmer said. "(The) commissary won't carry (a product) until it has a proven track record of sales," she said, adding that Homefront officials have met twice with Army and Air Force Exchange Service officials about carrying the chips. A percentage of the proceeds will go to local chapters. Operation Homefront provides assistance to families of deployed servicemembers. The group is a member of the Defense Department's a America Supports You program, which highlights ways the American people and the corporate sector support the nation's servicemembers. CoPak, maker of "On the Border" tortilla chips and margarita mix, approached Operation Homefront with the idea, Palmer said. "We've been approached with similar types of things, but none of them have been a brand name that you know and respect," Palmer said. "That carries a lot of weight as far as ... (retailers) understanding the quality and knowing that when they decide to carry it they're getting a good product." The red, white and blue store displays are helping attract attention to the product. Lowes Foods stores' initial order has sold, and they've placed another order, she said. The corn tortilla chips, also available in bags of all red or all blue chips, made their debut in January at the first CinCHouse convention in San Diego. CinCHouse is an arm of Operation Homefront and keeps military wives and women in the military connected and informed through its Web site. The chips run between $1.99 and $2.59 a bag, Palmer said.

CONTRACTS

 NAVY Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz. is being awarded a $369,059,572 firm-fixed-price modification under previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-5460) for Phalanx Close-In Weapons Systems and associated spares for FY06 Navy (51 percent), Army (35 percent), and the Governments of Pakistan (12.8 percent) and Australia (1.2 percent) under the foreign military sales requirements. Phalanx close-in Weapon System (CIWS) is a fast reaction terminal defense against low and high flying, high-speed maneuvering anti-ship missile threats that have penetrated all other ships' defenses. The CIWS is an integral element of the Fleet Defense In-Depth concept and the Ship Self-Defense Program. Operating either autonomously or integrated with a combat system, it is an automatic terminal defense weapon system designed to detect, track, engage, and destroy anti-ship missile threats penetrating other defense envelopes. Phalanx CIWS is currently installed on approximately 187 Navy ships and is in use in 20 foreign navies. The Army is deploying a land-based system known as the Land-based Phalanx Weapon System. Work will be performed in Louisville, Ky. and is expected to be completed December 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $7,282,107 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Sytex, Inc., Doylestown, Pa., is being awarded a $28,964,166 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, performance-based contract to provide air traffic control operations, airfield management, air to ground communications operations and maintenance, surveillance and precision radar systems operations and maintenance, voice communications systems operations and maintenance, and aviation weather systems operations and maintenance at multiple locations in the U.S. Central Command Air Force area of responsibility. Work will be performed in Southwest Asia, primarily Iraq, and is expected to be completed in March 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured because it is a sole source acquisition. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Charleston, S.C., is the contracting activity (N65236-06-D-6865). Northrop Grumman Corp., Electronic Systems, Naval & Marine Systems Division, Oceanic & Naval Systems, Annapolis, Md., is being awarded a $22,164,618 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost plus fixed-fee contract, to provide engineering and technical services for Airborne Mine Countermeasures Programs. This acquisition is for engineering and technical support through depot level repair and maintenance services for the AN/AQS-14A and AN/AQS-24 Airborne Mine Countermeasures Systems Sonar Systems. Work will be performed in Panama City, Fla., and is expected to be completed by September 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $10,000, will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity (N61331-06-D-0044). Robertson Aviation, LLC*, Tempe, Ariz., is being awarded an $18,927,571 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of 53 mission auxiliary tank systems (MATS). MATS is an off-the-shelf fuel tank that provides for extended range of flight for the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. Work will be performed in Tempe, Ariz., and is expected to be completed in February 2008. Contract funds in the amount of $9,938,313 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-06-C-0122). Techno-Sciences, Inc., Beltsville, Md., is being awarded a $16,196,464 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to upgrade and integrate the existing Indonesian Integrated Maritime Surveillance System (IMSS) they developed with eight additional Coastal Surveillance Stations (CSS) and two CSS equipment sets to supplement the two existing project sites in Indonesia; improve communications capabilities at the Indonesian Headquarters Command Center; and upgrade X-Band Radars on seven Indonesian ships and Trident Monitoring System. They will also define requirements and preliminary design for a Regional Integrated Maritime Security Information Center (RIMSIC) and develop IMSS Concept of Operations, Training and Exercise Plans. This contract represents purchases by the U.S. Navy for the benefit of the government of Indonesia under the authority of Section 1206 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006. Work will be performed in Beltsville, Md. (51 percent), and in Indonesia (49 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2008. The contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, but was synopsized in the Commerce Business Daily's Federal Business Opportunities website, with no other interested parties responding. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N00039-06-C-0102). McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded an $11,691,768 ceiling priced delivery order (7176) against previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00383-02-G-001H) for the repair of 36 F/A-18 Outer Wing Panels. Work will be performed in Montreal, Quebec Canada (95 percent) and Mesa, Ariz. (5 percent), and work is expected to be completed by September 2007. Contract funds will not expire by the end of the current fiscal year. One company was solicited for this non-competitive requirement and one offer was received. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity. Valley Crest, Orlando, Fla., is being awarded a $10,995,492 firm-fixed price, Design-Build Historical Mitigation and Landscape contract for Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Fla., for historic mitigation, landscape repairs, and restoration of various nature trails. This contract contains options, which if exercised, would bring the total possible value of this contract to $15,208,256. Work will be performed at NAS Pensacola, Fla. and is expected to be completed by September 2007. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The solicitation was issued on the NAVFAC e-solicitation website as a two-phase design/build solicitation inviting full and open competition. Two contractors responded to the Phase I solicitation. Two contractors were chosen to proceed to Phase II. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, North Charleston, S.C., is the contracting activity (N62467-06-D-0165). MPRI Inc., Columbia, Md., is being awarded a $9,592,328 firm-fixed-price, supply contract to provide for a digital deployed training campus for the Army National guard. Work will be performed in Columbia, Md., and is expected to be Dec 2007. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Indian Head Division, Indian Head, Md., is the contracting activity (N00174-06-C-0059). Concurrent Technologies Corp., Johnstown, Pa., is being awarded a $6,118,546 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, performance-based contract to provide engineering and technical support services to dynamically update signature data in a database that was developed and is maintained by Concurrent Technologies Corp. The contract contains options, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to an estimated $9,999,500. Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pa. (85 percent) and Patuxent River, MD (15 percent) and is expected to be completed in September 2007 (September 2008 with options). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured because it is a sole source acquisition. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Charleston, SC, is the contracting activity (N65236-06-D-6863). ARMY Whitesell-Green Inc., Pensacola, Fla., was awarded on Sept. 8, 2006, a $9,212,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of the FY06 Air Force Forces Command Headquarters Building. Work will be performed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 2, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were 21 bids solicited on June 22, 2006, and two bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Ala., is the contracting activity (W91278-06-C-0050). Capitol Technology Services Inc.*, Washington, D.C., was awarded on Sept. 11, 2006, a $5,089,000 firm-fixed-price contract for renovations to Building 4216. Work will be performed at Fort George G. Meade, Md., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were 20 bids solicited on June 27, 2005, and five bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity (W912DR-06-C-0039). AIR FORCE Data Research and Analysis Corp., Alexandria, Va., is being awarded a $13,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to provide for advisory and assistance modeling and simulation services. At this time, $500,000 have been obligated. This work will be complete September 2011. Headquarters Air Force District of Washington, Bolling Air Force Base, DC, is the contracting activity (FA7014-06-D-0020). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Integrated Systems Air Combat Systems, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $9,222,478 cost-plus-award fee contract modification. This effort requires the contractor to install the reachback capability into ground segment Air Force Mission Control Element (AFMCE-2), to purchase a new electro-optic/infrared receiver unit and upgrade an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) signals aperture radar to a production block 20 configuration in support of the global war on terrorism. At this time, total funds have been obligated. Solicitations began June 2006 and negotiations were complete August 2006. This work will be complete by September 2008. Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (F33657-01-C-4600/P00162). Kovatch Corp., Nesquehoning, Pa., is being awarded a $6,277,643 firm-fixed-price contract modification to exercise an option for thirty-three (33) R-11 aircraft refueling tank trucks. At this time, total funds have been obligated. This work will be complete June 2007. Headquarters Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is the contracting activity (F09603-03-C-0141/P00011). Honeywell Inc., Defense and Space Electronics System, Clearwater, Fla., is being awarded a $6,189,050 firm-fixed-price contract modification. This action is to purchase eighty-eight (88) Embedded Global Positional/Inertial Navigation System, production units installs for the MH-47G/TSPI/MH-6/SOA/F-16/AH-64D platforms, one contractor depot repair for the TSPI platform, five integration units (retrofit kits) for the TSPI platform, and four 9.8 inch mounts for the MH-47G platform through the Tri-Services Embedded Global Positioning office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. At this time, total funds have been obligated. This work will be complete July 2008. Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8626-06-C-2065/P00009). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Integrated System Sector, El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded a $5,024,822 cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification. This program will develop sensor craft technologies, maturing the technologies through major ground and flight test activities. At this time, $692,198 have been obligated. Solicitations began January 2006 and negotiations were complete September 2006. This work will be complete March 2009. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-05-C-3502/P00006).

About 50 authors, including current and former servicemen and women as well as family members, gathered in the library's Thomas Jefferson Building last evening to sign copies of a 377-page book of their observations and experiences in the global war on terrorism.

 "Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families," contains nearly 100 stories of personal truths observed on battlefields and at home during the war. "What the writing did for me was very cathartic," retired Navy Dr. (Cmdr.) Edward W. Jewell said of his participation in the project. Jewell, 51, is an anesthesiologist who wrote of his experiences aboard the hospital ship USNS Comfort in the Persian Gulf during Operation Iraqi Freedom. "I think the mission that the USNS Comfort performed is one of the great untold stories of the war," he said. The Random House-published book, officially released at a ceremony before yesterday's book signing, is the product of more that two years of work. It contains 89 nonfiction and fiction stories written by nearly 100 U.S. servicemembers and family members. Some authors wrote more than one story. David S. C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said having troops and family members record their wartime experiences "would give all Americans a better understanding of their service and sacrifice and of the sacrifice from their families." The Operation Homecoming book project also would "help our troops grapple with the difficult challenges that duty has called upon them to confront," Chu said at the ceremony. The anthology "tackles hard truths," Chu said, noting that good and courageous people die during wars. Yet, the book also tells of the goodness and kindness that emerges during conflict, as well as the spirit of duty to country, he said. Jewell chronicled his shipboard observations on pages 50 to 56 of the book. In his journal entry dated March 28, 2003, he wrote: "The doctors are all bored from underutilization, but the surgeons seem particularly restless. There are so many of them and not enough cases to fill the time." But, conditions aboard the USNS Comfort were to change drastically, as noted in Jewell's entry the following day. "We got creamed with fresh casualties last night, 30 new patients, both sides, all needing immediate and significant intervention," he wrote. "The injuries are horrifying," he added. The National Endowment for the Arts co-sponsors the Operation Homecoming book project, which the Boeing Company underwrites. In the book's preface, NEA Chairman Dana Gioia recalled his conversation with Marilyn Nelson, Connecticut's poet laureate, in April 2003, not long after the United States entered Iraq. "The daughter of a Tuskegee airman, Nelson knew the pressures on military families," Gioia wrote. "Having recently taught as a visiting writer at the United States Military Academy at West Point, she suggested that the enlisted men and women might benefit from the opportunity to write about their experiences." Gioia and Nelson discussed the differences between the literary world and the military in America. "We spoke about how separate the worlds of literature and the military are in our society and how crucially important the art of literature might be to military personnel undergoing huge changes in their lives," Gioia wrote. "What would happen if the nation fostered a conversation between its writers and its troops?" Gioia asked. Gioia noted at yesterday's ceremony that Operation Homecoming kicked off April 20, 2004. Troops and family members were asked to write down their wartime experiences at workshops held at stateside and overseas bases. Celebrated writers like Tom Clancy, author of "The Hunt for Red October," Mark Bowden, author of "Black Hawk Down," and Bobbie Ann Mason, author of "In Country," and others assisted as writing coaches. Immense demand required a five-fold increase in workshops, with 50 held between April 2004 and July 2005 at 25 military bases. More than 6,000 people participated in the workshops and related activities, submitting more than 1,200 submissions, Gioia said. The book's editor, Andrew Carroll, praised the budding authors. "Your humanity has come through in this material, and we are so proud of every one of you," he said. After penning his autograph onto the page of another book last night, airborne soldier and Iraq war veteran Staff Sgt. Jack Lewis, 42, reflected on his participation in the project. "What it does for me is irrelevant," said Lewis, an Army reservist from Seattle. "I hope that it is valuable for the American public." Lewis served with two Stryker brigade combat teams during his 2004-2005 deployment in Iraq. He wrote two non-fiction pieces for the book, "Road Work" and "Purple-Hearted." In "Purple-Hearted," Lewis describes a young soldier under his care who was destined to be wounded, Spc. Joshus Yuse, as "a near-total dingbat with no sense of planning who still manages to get things done." Yuse went on to distinguish himself after he was wounded by an Iraqi bullet and evacuated to Germany for more medical treatment. Lewis comments on Yuse's coolness under duress and praises the young soldier for "taking it like a man." Navy Reserve Cmdr. Kathleen Toomey Jabs, 40, whose Navy officer husband deployed to Iraq in 2004, wrote a fictional account, "Safekeeping." The writing tells the story of Brenda Croce, a military mother who is leaving her 4-year-old son Tommy to deploy to the Middle East. Jabs wrote that Brenda told her son as she was getting ready to leave, "only the barest facts about an important Navy job Mommy needed to do." While Brenda didn't want to leave her son, Jabs described her as resolved about her mission. Jabs, who is now a public affairs officer in the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon, said the anthology offers what "we don't really get to hear -- what the soldiers and the people over there are actually thinking and experiencing." She said she felt no pressure to write with a particular "slant" or political viewpoint. "It was totally free," she recalled, noting the writing coaches were "trying to make it a more artistic project, if anything." A 30-day book tour at U.S. cities and military bases begins Sept. 15 in Atlanta, NEA spokesperson Sally Gifford said. The tour makes its first military base stop at Fort Benning, Ga., on Sept. 16. A full listing of visits is posted at the Operation Homecoming Web site.

DoD Biobased Showcase and Educational Event at the Pentagon

 PARTICIPANTS: GORDON ENGLAND, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE; MIKE JOHANNS, SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE; SENATOR TOM HARKIN (D-IA); SENATOR RICHARD LUGAR (R-IN); REPRESENTATIVE MARCY KAPTUR (D-OH) MR. GRONE: Good morning. I am Philip Grone, deputy undersecretary of Defense for Installations and Environment. I welcome you here today to kick off the Department of Defense Biobased Product Event. Although the first of its kind to be held here in the Pentagon, as you will hear in a moment, the department has been very proactive in the area of green procurement and biobased products for a number of years. To kick off this event, we are privileged to have many special guests with us here today. And while acknowledging the total list of special attendees would take some time, I would like to recognize in particular our distinguished secretaries and members of Congress here with us today. So beginning certainly to my immediate left, the deputy secretary of Defense, Gordon England -- (applause) -- the secretary of Agriculture and former governor of the fair state of Nebraska, the honorable Mike Johanns -- (applause) -- the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, the senator from Iowa, Tom Harkin -- (applause) -- the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a leader in agriculture, the senator from Indiana, Richard Lugar -- (applause) -- and a member of the Subcommittees on Defense and Agriculture of the Committee on Appropriations in the House, the representative from the state of Ohio, Marcy Kaptur. (Applause.) In addition, with us today are my boss, the undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Mr. Ken Krieg -- (applause) -- Keith Eastin, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment -- (applause) -- Major General Loren Reno, Supply Corps, United States Navy, deputy director, Defense Logistics Agency -- Air Force. (Applause.) It says Navy here -- Air Force. We were being joint there for a second, sir. Mr. Shay Assad, director of Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy here in DOD -- (applause) -- and Mr. Ed Pinero, the federal environmental executive. Thank you, Ed, for your commitment. (Applause.) As many of you know, certainly those of you who work in this department or any department of the government, moving the department's key programs forward without senior leadership support is enormously difficult. The deputy secretary of Defense, Gordon England, embraced the concept long ago in his career in industry to find ways of enhancing the mission while protecting the environment, enhancing the stewardship of those trusted natural resources that are left for us from generation to generation. And in his tenure here in the Department of Defense, he has continued to do so. But certainly those of us who know the deputy secretary also know that he is results-driven, results-oriented. So we want programs that work, work effectively, that support and enhance the mission and advance the mission of the Department of Defense. And to speak about how we're doing and the approach that we are taking to the biobase question, the deputy secretary of Defense, Gordon England. (Applause.) MR. ENGLAND: Phil, thank you. And good morning. Thanks to everybody for being here this morning. I thank you for coming out to take a look at the department's Biobased Products Initiative. It is terrific you're all here. Mr. Secretary, I have a special thank-you to you because you and the Department of Agriculture have been great partners. And Mr. Secretary Johanns, I do thank you. I thank you for your personal leadership. And Senator Harkin and Senator Lugar and Congresswoman Kaptur, I thank you also, and also all the members of Congress for your partnership, but especially for your leadership in this very, very important initiative. I will tell you, we are proud in the Department of Defense to be a leader in this biobased products effort, and, by the way, a leader also in environmental stewardship. The department -- as you know, we have the largest workforce. We have the largest budget of any federal agency. And therefore, we are also the largest buyer of products of anyone in the federal government. So, frankly, we have a lot of market clout, and the decisions we make affect markets. They affect the products that producers decide to make. And so that gives us an opportunity, but also places on the department a responsibility in this area to set the standards and to lead the way for the federal government. And we are pleased to do that and we are doing that. Biobased products are an integral part of our overall strategy. Some people call it a green strategy. I just call it the department's strategy, a very central part of our strategic approach to national security. Many of these products are substitutes for products based on nonrenewable natural resources like oil and natural gas. So when we have substitutes, it supports the President's initiatives and the national interest to reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy. It makes our nation more secure, and that's what the Department of Defense is all about is making our nation more secure. Our strategy also supports our long-term national security interest by protecting and preserving the environment for future generations so they, too, can enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to the fullest here in America. And, by the way, when we do this right, in almost every case we end up saving the taxpayers' money. Invariably, if you are more effective at what you do, you're also more efficient at what you do. And this is all about being effective. Now, to be clear, this is not like the latest health food fad where you go to a specialty shop and you buy lots of additional expensive supplements and ingredients. This is about substituting an equally effective product or approach to meet a requirement you have that may well end up costing less in the end. When I looked over the program for this event, including the booths that are set up here -- and, by the way, I personally am going to take the time to view as many of these booths as I can this morning -- I was impressed by the wide variety of products that are included here today. And I do hope that everyone here will take the opportunity to have a look at all the displays you can today. Now, fortunately, this department's confidence in biobased approaches is not based on theory alone. DoD facilities, from Washington State to Texas to Georgia to Maine, are using biobased products. And there's already a number of great success stories, and I'm just going to mention three of those. The first is at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. In the past, if you wanted to remove paint and adhesives from ships, which is a big job if you're at the naval shipyard, they used methylene chloride product. It was a volatile, hazardous air pollutant. And then we made the switch to a soy-based paint stripper. It has fewer health risks. It's environmentally friendly. And, by the way, it's a lot easier to do. You don't have to do all the protective measures. You don't have to have ventilators, don't have to have respirators. And so it just makes good sense -- better, and again, costs us less money. At Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, they were looking for a biobased floor cleaner. At that base they do not have a wastewater treatment plant. All the wastewater actually goes to the city wastewater disposal. And we didn't want, you know, hazardous waste having to be treated at the city wastewater. So, again, they came out with another soy-based product, and it was equally effective and it was also much better. And, by the way, in that case it saved them $12,000 just in the procurement cost; again, costs less and did a better job. In Homestead Joint Reserve Base, theirs is in product and education; and also the United States Marine Corps, because they have adopted biodiesel and neighborhood electrical vehicles, and they both were recipients of the White House awards, the Closing the Circle awards. So again, I congratulate all these great folks in the Department of Defense who are doing all this good work every single day. And I also thank everyone here. I thank you for your leadership, for your commitment and for your service, and particularly for everyone here who's wearing the cloth of our nation. I thank you for what you do for America every single day. And God bless you and God bless your families. I'll tell you, what we do in national defense is all about preserving and protecting our liberty and freedoms for future generations. And this effort goes hand in hand. This is about protecting America for future generations. So I thank you. God bless you all. Thanks for the opportunity to be here. (Applause.) (C) COPYRIGHT 2006, FEDERAL NEWS SERVICE, INC., 1000 VERMONT AVE. NW; 5TH FLOOR; WASHINGTON, DC - 20005, USA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ANY REPRODUCTION, REDISTRIBUTION OR RETRANSMISSION IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED. UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION, REDISTRIBUTION OR RETRANSMISSION CONSTITUTES A MISAPPROPRIATION UNDER APPLICABLE UNFAIR COMPETITION LAW, AND FEDERAL NEWS SERVICE, INC. RESERVES THE RIGHT TO PURSUE ALL REMEDIES AVAILABLE TO IT IN RESPECT TO SUCH MISAPPROPRIATION. FEDERAL NEWS SERVICE, INC. IS A PRIVATE FIRM AND IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. NO COPYRIGHT IS CLAIMED AS TO ANY PART OF THE ORIGINAL WORK PREPARED BY A UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE AS PART OF THAT PERSON'S OFFICIAL DUTIES

Iraqi and coalition forces captured a key al Qaeda operative and some 70 more terror suspects in Iraq during a series of 25 raids in and around Baghdad Sept. 12,

 a senior Multinational Force Iraq spokesman told reporters in Baghdad today. The raids netted a personal associate of Abu Ayyoub al-Masri, Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said. Masri took control of al Qaeda in Iraq after a U.S.-led air strike killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in early June. While not revealing the detainee's name, Caldwell called him "the leader of assassination, kidnapping and IED (improvised explosive device) cells in Baghdad." He "is known to have directly participated in numerous terrorist acts" and to have contributed to sectarian violence throughout the city, Caldwell said. In addition, the detainee played a key operational role in terrorist activities leading up to and during operations in Fallujah in November 2004, he said. The Sept. 12 raids, which also netted dozens of other terror suspects and multiple weapons caches, is part of an ongoing effort to help secure Baghdad during Operation Together Forward, Caldwell told reporters. Iraqi and coalition forces have been focusing on five specific neighborhoods that were experiencing the most sectarian violence. During the past two weeks, more than 150 focused operations resulted in 66 terrorists killed and 830 terror suspects detained, Caldwell said. The focus expanded today into the Shaab and Ur neighborhoods, he said. This approach appears to be working in the focus areas, where violence is down, Caldwell said. However, he acknowledged that violence in other parts of Baghdad experienced a "spike" yesterday and noted that terrorist death squads "are clearly targeting civilians outside the focus areas." "Overall, Baghdad's level of sectarian violence has been reduced," he said, "but remains above the levels of violence we saw before the Golden Mosque bombing in Samarra in late February." Iraqi and coalition forces are working together to help bring these levels down, particularly with Ramadan just 10 days away. "As we approach Ramadan, we know there is generally an increase in violence, and the government of Iraq has ongoing plans to address this," Caldwell said.

 DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Alexander Jordan, 31, of Miami, Fla., died on Sept. 10 in Baghdad,
Iraq, of injuries suffered when he encountered enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations. Jordan was assigned to the 4th
Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier
died yesterday when his vehicle struck a makeshift bomb south of
Baghdad, and a soldier assigned to a battalion under the 1st Marine
Expeditionary Force died Sept. 11, from injuries suffered due to enemy action in
Iraq's Anbar province, U.S. military officials reported.

The names of the soldiers are being withheld pending notification of
next of kin.

Meanwhile, the Defense Department released the name of a soldier killed
supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Army Spc. Alexander Jordan, 31, of Miami, died Sept. 10 in Baghdad of
injuries suffered when he encountered enemy forces using small-arms fire
during combat operations. Jordan was assigned to the 4th Battalion,
23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort
Richardson, Alaska.

Special operations forces personnel, so
accustomed to operating in the shadows, stepped sadly into the light
tonight as the Navy presented the widows of two SEALs killed in Afghanistan
with the nation's second-highest military award for valor.

Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter presented the Navy Cross to Cindy
Axelson, widow of Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew G. Axelson, and to Patsy
Dietz, widow of Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz.

The ceremony was fittingly held here at the U.S. Navy Memorial. "These
were our men," said Rear Adm. Joseph Maguire, commander of the Naval
Special Warfare Command, at the start of the ceremony.

Axelson and Dietz were part of a four-man team inserted behind enemy
lines June 27, 2005, east of Asadabad, Afghanistan, to find and kill or
capture a key local militia leader.

Anti-coalition forces spotted them the following day and promptly
alerted the militia forces. The SEALs fought valiantly against "the
numerically superior and positionally advantaged enemy force," according to the
citation that accompanied the awards. Three of the four SEALs were
wounded and forced into a ravine, where they radioed for help. An MH-47
Chinook helicopter with eight more SEALs and eight Army troops aboard went
to the rescue, but was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade and crashed,
killing all aboard.

Dietz and Axelson, though wounded, provided cover for their partner to
escape. The teammate, whose name is being withheld to protect his
identity, evaded the enemy for days before being rescued. He, too, received
the Navy Cross at an earlier ceremony.

More than 300 family members, teammates and friends attended today's
evening ceremony. A large contingent of sailors from SEAL Team 2 in
Norfolk also journeyed to Washington to pay their respects.

SEAL teammates spoke about their friends during the ceremony. "These
men are heroes, not because of the way they died, but how they lived as
well," said Navy Lt. Brad Geary, who served with Dietz. He spoke of
Dietz's quiet professionalism and sense of responsibility to the team, the
Navy and his country.

Petty Officer 1st Class Dave Albritton spoke about Axelson, his SEAL
teammate, much the same way. Albritton, who went through SEAL training
with Axelson, said it became obvious early in the training that Axelson
was a born leader -- a man all his classmates looked up to.

Winter said the two men "embodied the values of the Navy's elite SEAL
community: courage, daring, ability and esprit de corps."

He said their combat service to the country deserves "special
recognition and a special place in the heart of every American."

The nature of special operations missions means that the servicemembers
who carry them out do not receive the public recognition for their
exploits, Winter said. He called today's ceremony a rare opportunity for
the American people to learn of the heroism and commitment of the special
warriors, and the debt Americans owe them.

"In this war, special forces have been used in new ways and
unprecedented numbers," Winter said. "They are precision weapons that are
defeating a ruthless enemy."

Winter said the two SEALs honored today served on the frontlines of
freedom in operations around the world. "Their insertion into an
enemy-held area, surrounded by risk and danger, is typical of the kinds of
missions that are routinely assigned to SEALs," he said.

Even after being wounded, both men "continued to fight the enemy with
undiminished zeal, covering the extraction of the rest of their team
while they stayed and fought," Winters said. "Putting the safety of their
teammates ahead of their own, they displayed extraordinary heroism in
combat."

Winters uttered two words -- "extraordinary heroism" -- he said
"perfectly capture their last selfless acts on this earth."

 Airmen Missing in Action From the Vietnam

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO)
announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from
the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for
burial with full military honors.

Air Force Maj. Burke H. Morgan, U.S. Air Force, of Manitou Springs,
Colo., was buried Sept. 7 beside his wife, Mary, at the U.S. Air Force
Academy.The service there coincided with his U.S. Air Force Academy
graduating class' 45th reunion.

On Aug. 22, 1967, Morgan and a fellow officer took off from Nakhon
Phanom air base, Thailand, in their A-26A Invader on an armed
reconnaissance mission over Laos.The crew had radio contact on their mission
shortly after midnight, but were neither seen nor heard from again.Electronic
and visual searches of their last-reported location in Xiangkhoang
Province, as well as over the planned flight path, did not locate the
missing aircraft.

A joint U.S.-Lao People's Democratic Republic team traveled to the
province in 1993 to interview three informants about various crash
sites.The men recalled the 1967 crash, as well as the burial of the crew
members.They also stated that one of the bodies was disinterred by unknown
persons in 1986.

Four years later, another joint U.S.-Lao team resurveyed the original
crash site, and requested that the Lao government conduct a unilateral
investigation.The Lao government was able to confirm that some remains
were exhumed in the mid-1980s, and promised to continue its
investigation.

Then in 2002, Lao government officials reported that the remains had
been turned over to a Lao official in 1987 or 1988, but that the
official had since died.His driver, however, had possession of those remains
and had been holding them in safekeeping awaiting directions from
authorities.

Scientists of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command were able to
identify those remains using a variety of forensic methods, including
analysis of skeletal and dental remains.

CONTRACTS

AIR FORCE

Lear Siegler Logistics International Inc., Gaithersburg, Md., is being
awarded a $1,900,000,000 indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity with
fixed-price contract. This is a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract
that will support numerous FMS countries. These countries purchase
nonstandard and hard to support standard supply items, maintenance/repair
support, and task orders via this contract. Task orders will be issued to
cover more complex maintenance tasks, studies, analysis or technical
assistance that will require technicians to travel to the country
requiring support. This contract supports numerous aircraft and weapons
systems including the C-47, T-33, T-37, C-130, F-111, F-4, F-5, F-16, and
various commercial aircraft. At this time, no funds have been obligated.
Solicitations began March 2005 and negotiations were complete August
2006. This work will be complete September 2016. PA POC is Mr Daryl Mayer,
(937) 257-8197 ext 4180. Headquarters Air Force Security
Assistance Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the
contracting activity (FA8630-06-D-6000).

MacAulay-Brown Inc., Dayton, Ohio, is being awarded a $47,726,000
indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, with cost-plus-fixed fee
type task orders contract. This action will support and conduct
Electro-Optical threat warning research at the Air Force Research Laboratory in
the area of laser sensor technology, missile warning, and space
protection sensors. This may include electro-optical situational awareness and
intelligence collection. In addition, support and operation of the
hanger 4B laboratory facilities is required, which is incidental to the
research efforts of this program. This contract support includes the
operation and maintenance of the laboratory facilities, associated
equipment, and any performance upgrades as needed to conduct specific test or
research. At this time, no funds have been obligated. Solicitations began
February 2006 and negotiations were complete August 2006. This work
will be complete September 2016. Air Force Research Laboratory,
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity
(FA8650-06-D-1079).

Engineered Fabrics Corp., Rockmart, Ga., is being awarded a $37,594,477
firm-fixed-price contract. This contract action provides for C/KC-135
fuel cells are used in the center wing, aft, forward and upper desk
positions of the C/KC-135 aircraft. The primary function of the fuel cell
is to store fuel for use during flight. At this time, no funds have been
obligated. This work will be complete May 2009. Headquarters Oklahoma
City Air Logistics Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the
contracting activity (FA8103-06-C-0232).

Today the Air Force is exercising the Fiscal Year 2007 option to the
Launch Operations Support Contract (LOSC) to Space Coast Launch Services,
Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., for $35,958,831. This contract provides
for launch support operations, maintenance and engineering support to
critical launch, spacecraft and ordnance facilities and support systems
owned by the 45th Space Wing. These facilities and systems are vital to
the support of Department of Defense, civil, and commercial space
launch processing at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The LOSC
contractor is responsible for planning and executing all preventive and
corrective maintenance and performing configuration changes to LOSC
facilities and systems necessary to achieve the greatest operational
availability for mission support. At this time, no funds have been obligated. This
work will be complete September 2007. 45th Space Wing, Patrick Air
Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity
(FA2521-05-C-0008/P00027 tentatively).

L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC., Madison, Miss., is being
awarded a $10,072,492 firm-fixed-price contract modification. This action
provides trainer maintenance at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas and
satellite sites at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. and Fort Eustis, Va.
This action is to exercise option period three, Oct. 1, 2006 thru Sept.
30, 2007. At this time, total funds have been obligated. This work will
be complete September 2007. Air Education and Training Command, Sheppard
Air Force Base, Texas, is the contracting activity
(F41689-03-C-0018/Mod # 20).

McDonnell Douglas Corp., St Louis, Mo., is being awarded an $8,225,133
firm-fixed-price contract modification. This action provides for Joint
Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), High Data Rate Compact Telemetry Units
(HCTMs), a quantity of 287. The JDAM HCTMs are flight test
instrumentation hardware, which is used to gather real-time JDAM weapon data during
testing. The JDAM weapon system provides the Air Force and the Navy
with an improved aerial delivery capability for existing 500, 1000 and
2000-pound bombs. The JDAM is a strap-on kit with inertial navigation
system (INS)/Global Positioning System capability. At this time, total
funds have been obligated. This work will be complete September 2008.
Headquarters 308th Armament Systems Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the
contracting activity (FA8681-06-C-0058/P00004).

T Square Logistics Services Corp., Colorado Springs, Colo., is being
awarded a $6,305,600 firm-fixed-price contract modification. This action
provides for logistics services at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, to
perform base supply, fuels, and vehicle operations and maintenance
services. The current action will exercise option period four, from Oct. 1,
2006 through Sept. 30, 2007. At this time, total funds have been
obligated. This work will be complete September 2007. Air Education and
Training Command, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, is the contracting
activity (F41612-03-C-0006/Mod # 42).

General Electric Aircraft Engines, Cincinnati, Ohio, is being awarded a
$6,184,171 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract will support the
F101 and F102 engine platform. The lower pressure turbine blades are
designed to eliminate "creep rupture" which can cause catastrophic damage
to the aircraft and loss of life. The government will purchase 10,481 of
these blades and begin fleet replacement immediately upon receipt. At
this time, total funds have been obligated. Solicitations began March
2006 and negotiations were complete August 2006. This work will be
complete January 2007. 448th Combat Sustainment Wing, Tinker Air Force Base,
Okla., is the contracting activity (FA8104-05-G-0003-0070).

SRS Technologies, Cape Canaveral, Fla., is being awarded a $5,000,000
cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification. This action provides for
consolidated safety support contract, which provides for safety engineering
support services to the 45th Space Wing's Eastern Range. This is option
five of nine for the period of Oct. 1, 2005 through Sept. 30, 2006. At
this time, no funds have been obligated. This work will be complete
September 2007. 45th Space Wing, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., is the
contracting activity (FO8650-02-C-0018/P00100).
NAVY

VT Griffin Services, Atlanta, Ga., is being awarded a maximum
$13,188,080 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract
to provide all labor, equipment, materials, transportation, and
supervision necessary to perform roofing repairs, and incidental related work.
This contract contains options, which is exercised, will bring the not
to exceed value of the contract to $27,043,770. Work will be performed
in San Diego County, with the majority of the work being performed at
Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, and Seal Beach Annex, Naval Weapons
Station Center, Fallbrook, Calif., and is expected to be completed by
September 2007 (September 2009 with options). Contract funds in the
amount of $5,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This
contract was competitively procured with three proposals solicited and
three offers received. The Regional Office in Charge of Construction, Camp
Pendleton, Calif., is the contracting activity
(N62473-06-D-1011).

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Co., Simsbury, Conn.*, is being
awarded a $12,613,578 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract
for production, testing, and delivery of the Anti-Personnel Obstacle
Breaching System. The base year is for a quantity of 200 first article
test units, testing support, technical data, inert models and a maximum
of 3000 production units. This contract includes options which, if
exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to
$150,816,130. Work will be performed in Graham, Ky. (80 percent) and Simsbury,
Conn. (20 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2007.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This
contract was competitively procured via publication on the Federal
Business Opportunities and Navy Electronic Commerce On-line, with 3 offers
received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the
contracting activity (M67854-06-D-1021).
ARMY
Wintara-Salihi Group Inc.*, Fort Washington, Md., was awarded on Sept.
4, 2006, a $9,450,176 firm-fixed-price contract for Installation of a
remote monitoring system. Work will be performed in Baghdad, Iraq, and
is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2007. Contract funds will not
expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were an unknown
number of bids solicited via the World Wide Web on May 20, 2006, and four
bids were received. The Joint Contracting Command, Baghdad, Iraq, is the
contracting activity (W91GXY-06-C-0093).

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., L.L.C., Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded
on Sept. 6, 2006, a $6,589,340 firm-fixed-price contract for
maintenance dredging. Work will be performed in Philadelphia, Pa., and is
expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2006. Contract funds will not expire at
the end of the current fiscal year. There were 29 bids solicited on July
18, 2006, and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (W912BU-06-C-0016).

The Ross Group*, Tulsa, Okla., was awarded on Sept. 1, 2006, a delivery
order amount of $5,561,388 as part of a $36,435,544 firm-fixed-price
contract for design and renovation of barrack buildings. Work will be
performed at Fort Riley, Kan., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 15,
2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal
year. There were four bids solicited on May 31, 2006, and two bids were
received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Mo., is the
contracting activity (W912DQ-04-D-0003).

Veteran/Pacific (Joint Venture)*, Chicago, Ill., was awarded on Aug.
31, 2006, a $5,037,015 firm-fixed-price contract for the design and
construction of the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command Facility.
Work will be performed at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and is expected to
be completed by May 10, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end
of the current fiscal year. There were an unknown number of bids
solicited via the World Wide Web on July 21, 2006, and three bids were
received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the
contracting activity (W912QR-06-C-0049).

 

CONTRACTS

AIR FORCE

Lear Siegler Logistics International Inc., Gaithersburg, Md., is being
awarded a $1,900,000,000 indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity with
fixed-price contract. This is a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract
that will support numerous FMS countries. These countries purchase
nonstandard and hard to support standard supply items, maintenance/repair
support, and task orders via this contract. Task orders will be issued to
cover more complex maintenance tasks, studies, analysis or technical
assistance that will require technicians to travel to the country
requiring support. This contract supports numerous aircraft and weapons
systems including the C-47, T-33, T-37, C-130, F-111, F-4, F-5, F-16, and
various commercial aircraft. At this time, no funds have been obligated.
Solicitations began March 2005 and negotiations were complete August
2006. This work will be complete September 2016. PA POC is Mr Daryl Mayer,
(937) 257-8197 ext 4180. Headquarters Air Force Security
Assistance Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the
contracting activity (FA8630-06-D-6000).

MacAulay-Brown Inc., Dayton, Ohio, is being awarded a $47,726,000
indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, with cost-plus-fixed fee
type task orders contract. This action will support and conduct
Electro-Optical threat warning research at the Air Force Research Laboratory
in the area of laser sensor technology, missile warning, and space
protection sensors. This may include electro-optical situational awareness
and intelligence collection. In addition, support and operation of the
hanger 4B laboratory facilities is required, which is incidental to the
research efforts of this program. This contract support includes the
operation and maintenance of the laboratory facilities, associated
equipment, and any performance upgrades as needed to conduct specific test or
research. At this time, no funds have been obligated. Solicitations
began February 2006 and negotiations were complete August 2006. This work
will be complete September 2016. Air Force Research Laboratory,
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity
(FA8650-06-D-1079).

Engineered Fabrics Corp., Rockmart, Ga., is being awarded a
$37,594,477 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract action provides for C/KC-135
fuel cells are used in the center wing, aft, forward and upper desk
positions of the C/KC-135 aircraft. The primary function of the fuel cell
is to store fuel for use during flight. At this time, no funds have
been obligated. This work will be complete May 2009. Headquarters Oklahoma
City Air Logistics Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the
contracting activity (FA8103-06-C-0232).

Today the Air Force is exercising the Fiscal Year 2007 option to the
Launch Operations Support Contract (LOSC) to Space Coast Launch
Services, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., for $35,958,831. This contract provides
for launch support operations, maintenance and engineering support to
critical launch, spacecraft and ordnance facilities and support systems
owned by the 45th Space Wing. These facilities and systems are vital to
the support of Department of Defense, civil, and commercial space
launch processing at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The LOSC
contractor is responsible for planning and executing all preventive and
corrective maintenance and performing configuration changes to LOSC
facilities and systems necessary to achieve the greatest operational
availability for mission support. At this time, no funds have been obligated. This
work will be complete September 2007. 45th Space Wing, Patrick Air
Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity
(FA2521-05-C-0008/P00027 tentatively).

L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC., Madison, Miss., is being
awarded a $10,072,492 firm-fixed-price contract modification. This action
provides trainer maintenance at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas and
satellite sites at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. and Fort Eustis, Va.
This action is to exercise option period three, Oct. 1, 2006 thru Sept.
30, 2007. At this time, total funds have been obligated. This work will
be complete September 2007. Air Education and Training Command,
Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, is the contracting activity
(F41689-03-C-0018/Mod # 20).

McDonnell Douglas Corp., St Louis, Mo., is being awarded an $8,225,133
firm-fixed-price contract modification. This action provides for Joint
Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), High Data Rate Compact Telemetry Units
(HCTMs), a quantity of 287. The JDAM HCTMs are flight test
instrumentation hardware, which is used to gather real-time JDAM weapon data during
testing. The JDAM weapon system provides the Air Force and the Navy
with an improved aerial delivery capability for existing 500, 1000 and
2000-pound bombs. The JDAM is a strap-on kit with inertial navigation
system (INS)/Global Positioning System capability. At this time, total
funds have been obligated. This work will be complete September 2008.
Headquarters 308th Armament Systems Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the
contracting activity (FA8681-06-C-0058/P00004).

T Square Logistics Services Corp., Colorado Springs, Colo., is being
awarded a $6,305,600 firm-fixed-price contract modification. This action
provides for logistics services at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, to
perform base supply, fuels, and vehicle operations and maintenance
services. The current action will exercise option period four, from Oct. 1,
2006 through Sept. 30, 2007. At this time, total funds have been
obligated. This work will be complete September 2007. Air Education and
Training Command, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, is the contracting
activity (F41612-03-C-0006/Mod # 42).

General Electric Aircraft Engines, Cincinnati, Ohio, is being awarded
a $6,184,171 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract will support the
F101 and F102 engine platform. The lower pressure turbine blades are
designed to eliminate "creep rupture" which can cause catastrophic damage
to the aircraft and loss of life. The government will purchase 10,481
of these blades and begin fleet replacement immediately upon receipt. At
this time, total funds have been obligated. Solicitations began March
2006 and negotiations were complete August 2006. This work will be
complete January 2007. 448th Combat Sustainment Wing, Tinker Air Force Base,
Okla., is the contracting activity (FA8104-05-G-0003-0070).

SRS Technologies, Cape Canaveral, Fla., is being awarded a $5,000,000
cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification. This action provides for
consolidated safety support contract, which provides for safety
engineering support services to the 45th Space Wing's Eastern Range. This is
option five of nine for the period of Oct. 1, 2005 through Sept. 30, 2006.
At this time, no funds have been obligated. This work will be complete
September 2007. 45th Space Wing, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., is the
contracting activity (FO8650-02-C-0018/P00100).

NAVY

VT Griffin Services, Atlanta, Ga., is being awarded a maximum
$13,188,080 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract
to provide all labor, equipment, materials, transportation, and
supervision necessary to perform roofing repairs, and incidental related work.
This contract contains options, which is exercised, will bring the not
to exceed value of the contract to $27,043,770. Work will be performed
in San Diego County, with the majority of the work being performed at
Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, and Seal Beach Annex, Naval Weapons
Station Center, Fallbrook, Calif., and is expected to be completed by
September 2007 (September 2009 with options). Contract funds in the
amount of $5,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This
contract was competitively procured with three proposals solicited and
three offers received. The Regional Office in Charge of Construction, Camp
Pendleton, Calif., is the contracting activity
(N62473-06-D-1011).

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Co., Simsbury, Conn.*, is being
awarded a $12,613,578 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract
for production, testing, and delivery of the Anti-Personnel Obstacle
Breaching System. The base year is for a quantity of 200 first article
test units, testing support, technical data, inert models and a maximum
of 3000 production units. This contract includes options which, if
exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to
$150,816,130. Work will be performed in Graham, Ky. (80 percent) and Simsbury,
Conn. (20 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2007.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This
contract was competitively procured via publication on the Federal
Business Opportunities and Navy Electronic Commerce On-line, with 3 offers
received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the
contracting activity (M67854-06-D-1021).

ARMY

Wintara-Salihi Group Inc.*, Fort Washington, Md., was awarded on Sept.
4, 2006, a $9,450,176 firm-fixed-price contract for Installation of a
remote monitoring system. Work will be performed in Baghdad, Iraq, and
is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2007. Contract funds will not
expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were an unknown
number of bids solicited via the World Wide Web on May 20, 2006, and four
bids were received. The Joint Contracting Command, Baghdad, Iraq, is the
contracting activity (W91GXY-06-C-0093).

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., L.L.C., Oak Brook, Ill., was
awarded on Sept. 6, 2006, a $6,589,340 firm-fixed-price contract for
maintenance dredging. Work will be performed in Philadelphia, Pa., and is
expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2006. Contract funds will not expire at
the end of the current fiscal year. There were 29 bids solicited on
July 18, 2006, and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (W912BU-06-C-0016).

The Ross Group*, Tulsa, Okla., was awarded on Sept. 1, 2006, a
delivery order amount of $5,561,388 as part of a $36,435,544 firm-fixed-price
contract for design and renovation of barrack buildings. Work will be
performed at Fort Riley, Kan., and is expected to be completed by Dec.
15, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current
fiscal year. There were four bids solicited on May 31, 2006, and two bids
were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Mo., is the
contracting activity (W912DQ-04-D-0003).

Veteran/Pacific (Joint Venture)*, Chicago, Ill., was awarded on Aug.
31, 2006, a $5,037,015 firm-fixed-price contract for the design and
construction of the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command Facility.
Work will be performed at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and is expected to
be completed by May 10, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end
of the current fiscal year. There were an unknown number of bids
solicited via the World Wide Web on July 21, 2006, and three bids were
received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the
contracting activity (W912QR-06-C-0049).

* Small Business



 People kept a respectful silence as 184
beams of white light emanated from the Pentagon's center courtyard this
evening, rising into the night sky like lonely wraiths searching for
lost loved ones.

Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England signaled for the lights to be
turned on just before 9 p.m., as thousands of people who'd just
completed the America Supports You Freedom Walk and family members of victims
of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks looked on.

Famed soprano vocalist Denyce Graves sang "God Bless America" as
onlookers craned their necks upward. Some people stared stoically into the
black sky, while others made little sounds and wiped at their eyes.

Tiffany R. Bush, 14, from Lorton, Va., was one of the people who had to
look down and away from the lights and contend with her tears.

Bush lost her grandmother, Judith Jones, on Sept. 11, 2001, when
American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon, killing 125 people in the
building and 59 passengers aboard the plane. Jones was a Navy civilian
employee.

Only moments before, Bush had been gazing at the beams, one for each
person who died at the Pentagon. Then, her wet brown eyes leaked a shiny
ribbon down her cheek.

"It's nice," Bush said of the light show. "It's inspiring to know there
are people out there who still care."

Bush's mother, Michelle C. Burkes, 36, also of Lorton, accompanied her
daughter to the Pentagon ceremony.

"It's a very nice tribute," Burkes said, watching the shifting lights
above her as people about her began to head home.

"I got a bit of goose bumps when the lights came on," she said.

Each year the Defense Department has hosted an event at the Pentagon to
commemorate the lives lost there on Sept. 11, 2001, Allison Barber,
deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, told American
Forces Press Service in an earlier interview.

"And, so, this year on the fifth-year anniversary, we thought it would
be meaningful to really do something to honor those 184 lives," Barber
said.