The chief of staff, Army announced the following assignments:
Maj. Gen. Jimmie O. Keenan, commanding general, Southern Regional Medical Command; market manager, San Antonio Military Health System; chief, U.S. Army Nurse Corps, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, to deputy commanding general (operations); chief, U.S. Army Nurse Corps, U.S. Army Medical Command, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.
Brig. Gen. Dennis D. Doyle, commanding general, Pacific Regional Medical Command; U.S. Army Pacific Surgeon; senior market manager, Hawaii Enhanced Multi-Service Market; chief, U.S. Army Medical Service Corps, Honolulu, Hawaii, to deputy chief of staff for operations, U.S. Army Medical Command; and chief, U.S. Army Medical Service Corps, Falls Church, Virginia.
Brig. Gen. Robin L. Fontes, student, Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington, District of Columbia, to defense attaché-India, U.S. Defense Attaché Office, India.
Brig. Gen. Barbara R. Holcomb to commanding general, Southern Regional Medical Command, and market manager, San Antonio Military Health System, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. Holcomb most recently served as command surgeon, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Brig. Gen. Patrick D. Sargent, deputy chief of staff for operations, U.S. Army Medical Command, Falls Church, Virginia, to commanding general, Pacific Regional Medical Command; U.S. Army Pacific Surgeon; and senior market manager, Hawaii Enhanced Multi-Service Market, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
General Officer Assignments
Breedlove: U.S. Reconsidering Troop Reductions in Europe
By Nick Simeone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2014 - NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe said today that Pentagon leaders are reviewing decisions to scale down U.S. military forces in Europe in light of the changing security environment on the continent triggered by Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and Moscow's ongoing support for rebels in the east.
"I have talked to leadership here about a function to re-address those decisions," Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove told reporters during a Pentagon news conference, just days after NATO leaders met in Wales to discuss the alliance's response to the crisis in Ukraine. "Because those sequester decisions were clearly made before Russia-Crimea, I see this building now moving towards a review of those decisions," Breedlove said, referring to the automatic cuts imposed on defense spending by the budget sequester law.
In the years since the end of the Cold War, the number of U.S troops based in Europe has dropped from several hundred thousand to around 64,000 today, with the majority of those remaining based in Germany.
"I am very emphatic that we should cease further decrease of forces in Europe," Breedlove added. "Quite frankly, the forces that are forward in Europe now are working at full speed as part of their normal rotations into Afghan and other requirements."
At the same time, the United States has been rotating additional forces into Poland and the Baltic states to reassure allies who feel threatened by Russia's military involvement in Ukraine. Those operations will continue, Breedlove said, until permanent adaptions called for at this month's NATO summit are implemented.
Breedlove characterized the ceasefire between pro-Russian rebels and the Ukrainian government as tenuous at best. And while there has been a significant reduction in the number of Russian troops crossing the border, "those forces are close enough to be quickly brought back to bear if required." Breedlove said the Russian forces still in eastern Ukraine "are arrayed to set conditions to completely support the long-term effort of the separatists in the east and to either coerce or force the hand in Mariupol," a frontline Ukrainian town that has been the scene of fighting between both sides in the days before the current ceasefire took effect.
D-FENDERS ASSISTANT COACH THOMAS SCOTT EARNS CALL-UP TO LAKERS
EL SEGUNDO – Los Angeles D-Fenders assistant coach Thomas Scott has earned a call-up to the Los Angeles Lakers, it was announced today.
Scott, son of current Lakers head coach Byron Scott, brings with him a combined nine years of experience as an assistant coach and video coordinator at the NBA and NBA D-League levels. Last season, Scott helped lead the D-Fenders to the second best record in the NBA D-League (31-19) and second Western Division Championship in franchise history. The Los Angeles native also assisted in developing three Lakers’ assignees and four Gatorade NBA call-ups last season. Prior to joining the D-Fenders, Scott spent two previous seasons in the NBA D-League as an assistant coach for the Canton Charge (2011-13). Additionally, Scott spent a combined five seasons in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2010-11) as a player development/video coach and the New Orleans Hornets (2006-10) as an assistant video coordinator.
Scott joins Luke Walton as the second member of the 2013-14 D-Fenders coaching staff to earn a call-up to the NBA. Walton, who served as a player development coach with the team last season, was recently hired by the Golden State Warriors to serve as an assistant coach.
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The NBA Development League’s Los Angeles D-Fenders, the first franchise in D-League history to be owned by an NBA team (Los Angeles Lakers), will return for its eighth season of competition in 2014-15. The D-Fenders franchise has quickly established itself as a top producer of NBA-ready talent, totaling 18 NBA Call-Ups and developing 15 Lakers assignment players since the inaugural 2006-07 season. In addition, the D-Fenders became the first team in league history to win the Development Champion award (2011-12), which is an honor given to the team that best embodies the NBA D-League's goals of developing NBA basketball talent via call-ups and assignments. The D-Fenders also claimed the franchise’s second Western Division Championship last season, joining the division title earned during the 2011-12 season.
For the fourth consecutive season, the D-Fenders will play all home games at Toyota Sports Center; the Lakers practice facility in El Segundo, CA. Information on D-Fenders 2014-15 season ticket packages and single-game tickets can be found by logging onto the team’s website (www.d-fenders.com) or by contacting Benny Garcia at (310) 426-6043 / bgarcia@d-fenders.com.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Obama Details Major Increase in U.S. Ebola Response
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2014 - In a whole-of-government approach and with international partners, the United States is significantly upping its response to the West African Ebola epidemic to save lives now and halt future outbreaks, President Barack Obama said today during a visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
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The president received updates from CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden and his team on the Ebola outbreak and efforts to help mobilize the international community to fight the deadly viral disease.
"Faced with this outbreak, the world is looking to us, the United States, and it's a responsibility that we embrace," Obama said, after meeting with scientists who work at the center, including some who recently returned from the epidemic's front lines.
Mobilizing to confront Ebola
"We're prepared to take leadership on this," the president said of agencies such as the Defense Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, "to provide the kinds of capabilities that only America has, and to mobilize the world in ways that only America can do. That's what we're doing as we speak."
Obama said that two months ago he directed his team to make the Ebola outbreak a national security priority, and today at CDC he was joined by administration leaders, including his national security team.
"We're working this across our entire government," the president said, "and we've devoted significant resources in support of our strategy with four goals in mind."
The goals, he said, are:
-- To control the outbreak;
-- To address the ripple effects on local economies and communities to prevent massive humanitarian disasters;
-- To coordinate a broader global response; and
-- To urgently build up public health systems in countries with few resources.
Horrific scenes
Obama said Frieden and others at CDC had recently returned from the region, where the hardest-hit countries are Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
"The scenes that they describe are just horrific," Obama said. "More than 2,400 men, women and children are known to have died -- and we strongly suspect that the actual death toll is higher than that. Hospitals, clinics and the few treatment centers that do exist have been completely overwhelmed."
Already weakened public health systems are near collapse in these countries and patients are being turned away. People are literally dying in the streets, the president said.
Epidemic is getting worse
"Now here's the hard truth: In West Africa, Ebola is an epidemic of the likes that we have not seen before," he added. "It's spiraling out of control. It is getting worse. It's spreading faster and exponentially. Today, thousands of people in West Africa are infected. That number could rapidly grow to tens of thousands."
If the outbreak is not stopped now, Obama said, the world could see hundreds of thousands of people infected in the region, with profound political and economic and security implications for everyone.
Such an epidemic, he said, is not just a threat to regional security -- it's a potential threat to global security if the affected countries break down -- if their economies break down and if their people panic. That situation would have profound effects on people everywhere, he said, even those who don't contract the disease.
Military command center
As the president detailed the major increase in the U.S. Ebola response, he said that at the request of the Liberian government, the United States would establish a military command center in Monrovia, Liberia, to support civilian efforts across the region. The effort will involve an estimated 3,000 U.S. forces, according to a White House fact sheet.
Obama said the response would be similar to that of the U.S. humanitarian response to the 2010 magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Haiti, adding that Maj. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, commander of U.S. Army Africa, the Army component of U.S. Africa Command, will command the center and Operation United Assistance.
"He arrived today and is now on the ground in Liberia," Obama said. "Our forces are going to bring their expertise in command and control, logistics and engineering, and our armed services are better at that than any organization on earth."
The president said the team on the ground would create an air bridge to speed health workers and medical supplies into West Africa, and establish a staging area in Senegal to more quickly get personnel and aid on the ground.
"We are going to create a new training site to train thousands of health workers so they can effectively and safely care for more patients," he said.
An international effort
Personnel from the U.S. Public Health Service will deploy to the new field hospitals being set up in Liberia, and USAID will join with international partners and local communities in a community care campaign to distribute supplies and information kits to hundreds of thousands of families so they can better protect themselves, the president added.
Service members also will build more treatment units, including new isolation spaces and more than 1,000 beds.
"In all our efforts, the safety of our personnel will remain a top priority," Obama said. "Meanwhile our scientists continue their urgent research in the hope of finding new treatments and perhaps vaccines."
The president said that today he would call on Congress to approve requested funding so people on the ground could carry on with all the critical efforts.
The United States now has in the affected countries more than 100 specialists from multiple U.S. departments and agencies, including the departments of State, Health and Human Services, CDC, USAID and DoD.
Ebola demands a global response
Ebola is a global threat and demands a truly global response, the president said.
The United States is working intensely on the effort with the United Nations, including the World Health Organization, and the governments of affected countries and other partners, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway, the African Union and the European Union.
"This week the United States will chair an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council. Next week, I'll join U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to continue mobilizing the international community around this effort," Obama said.
More nations will come together to strengthen global health security to better prevent, detect and respond to future outbreaks before they become epidemics, he said.
The effort was announced several months ago at the G-7 meeting before the Ebola outbreak, the president said.
"We anticipated the fact that in many of these countries with weak public health systems, if we don't have more effective surveillance, more effective facilities on the ground and are not helping poor countries in developing their ability to catch these things quickly, that there was at least the potential of seeing these kinds of outbreaks," he said.
"We now see that our predictions were correct," Obama added. "It gives more urgency to this effort -- a Global Health Initiative -- that we have been pushing internationally."
An opportunity to save lives
The Ebola epidemic will get worse before it gets better, the president said.
"But right now, the world still has an opportunity to save countless lives," he said. "Right now, the world has the responsibility to act, to step up, and to do more.
"The United States of America intends to do more," Obama continued. "We are going to keep leading in this effort. We're going to do our part and we're going to continue to make sure that the world understands the need for them to step alongside us as well."
Senior Executive Service Announcements
Senior Executive Service Announcements Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced the following Department of Defense Senior Executive Service appointments and assignments:
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Army Vietnam Medal of Honor Recipients Join Hall of Heroes
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2014 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel honored two "remarkable" Americans today as he led the induction of the Army's two most recent Medal of Honor recipients into the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes here.
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Retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins, and Army Specialist Four Donald P. Sloat -- who received the medal posthumously and was represented by his family -- were enshrined during the ceremony a day after President Barack Obama presented the duo with the nation's highest award for valor.
The defense secretary was joined in honoring the inductees by Army Undersecretary Brad R. Carson, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Daniel B. Allyn, and Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III, as well as the two Medal of Honor recipients' families, friends and fellow Vietnam War veterans.
"We're very proud of you," Hagel said. "This whole country is very proud of you, and I think President Obama made that very clear yesterday in a very special recognition at the White House. So thank you and your family. Thank you very much."
Honoring Vietnam veterans
Before inducting the two Medal of Honor recipients, the defense secretary, who served in Vietnam as an Army infantry noncommissioned officer, acknowledged the Vietnam veterans present who "served in battle with these men."
"We're very proud of you," he said. "We're grateful for your service, what you have done for our country and what you mean to all of us.
"You witnessed, firsthand, courageous actions," Hagel continued. "Certainly the courageous actions of the two we honor today, but you, too, exhibited tremendous bravery on the battlefield."
Last month, he said, marked 50 years since the Gulf of Tonkin incident and the escalation of the Vietnam War -- a conflict that would result in the deaths of tens of thousands of American service members.
The Vietnam War left other service members with visible and invisible wounds of war, Hagel said, and leaving far too many selfless warriors without the dignity, respect and appreciation they deserved when they all came home.
"We still have not made things right for many of these Vietnam veterans," he said. "But today we have the opportunity to correct the record for two of them."
Acts of heroism
Many in the audience were probably familiar with Adkins' and Sloat's "stories of heroism, which again, the president described yesterday at the White House," Hagel said.
Yet, the two soldiers' stories bear repeating, he added.
Hagel described then-Sgt. 1st Class Adkins' actions over the course of 48 hours as he "repeatedly put himself in harm's way to move his wounded comrades to safety, gather urgently needed supplies, and recover the fallen."
Adkins "almost singlehandedly repelled enemy forces when they launched their main assault, firing all the ammunition left in the camp," the secretary said.
When Adkins missed the evacuation helicopter in an attempt to carry out a wounded soldier, Hagel said, "he led the survivors into the jungle and evaded capture for another two days."
In doing so, Hagel said, Sergeant Major Adkins displayed a level of bravery that saved many lives and showed the enemy that American soldiers have the will to fight until the very last bullet.
The defense secretary quoted Adkins himself as he recalled his experience "with understated humility" -- "'It was not my day to die.'"
Hagel noted while Adkins' ordeal spanned "days and days," Sloat's lasted "one instant, but it was no less heroic."
"A grenade rolled toward him, tripped by a fellow soldier, when they were on patrol in the Que Son Valley," he explained.
"Specialist Sloat had a split-second choice to make," Hagel said. "And less than four months into his tour of duty in Vietnam, and not even a year since enlisting in the Army, he made a selfless sacrifice to protect his brothers."
Hagel quoted a soldier on patrol with Sloat that day, "'I was only five to eight feet behind Don when the grenade went off. His act saved my life and the lives of others.'"
"That decision to put the greater good above self -- to sacrifice the one for the many -- reflects the core values of our military," Hagel said.
Inspirational heroes
The defense secretary noted Sloat's action leads other Americans to "aspire to the altruism, the dedication and the bold courage that Specialist Sloat embodied that day."
By honoring Sloat and Adkins, Hagel said, "we hope their stories will inspire a new generation of leaders."
The two soldiers are being honored, he said, "for the remarkable valor they exhibited on the battlefield [and] for reminding us of the awesome power of the human spirit and for symbolizing the fearless determination of the American soldier."
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Hagel quoted former President John F. Kennedy.
"As President Kennedy once said, 'A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it honors. The men it remembers,'" the secretary said.
"May God bless these two soldiers, their families," Hagel said, "and all the men and women in our armed forces who, day-in and day-out, personify the ideals of our great nation."
(Follow Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone Marshall on Twitter: @MarshallDoDNews)
Attorney General Holder Records Message for Cartoon Network’s “I Speak up” Campaign to Combat Bullying
MARINE MUSCLE
CEMENT CREW
ADMIRAL'S HANDSHAKE
LAKERS ANNOUNCE COACHING STAFF
EL SEGUNDO – Los Angeles Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced today that Paul Pressey, Jim Eyen and Mark Madsen will serve as assistant coaches on Byron Scott’s staff. Additionally, it was announced that Clay Moser (assistant coach/head advance NBA scout), Larry Lewis (assistant coach/director of player development), Thomas Scott (assistant coach/player development), Tom Bialaszewski (video coordinator/coach), and J.J. Outlaw (video coordinator/player development) will round out Scott’s staff.
“I’m excited to have completed my staff with a group of individuals who each possess unique skills, but all share my vision for the future of this team,” said Scott. “Paul is a great basketball mind with vast experience and someone with whom I have worked before, while Jim returns to the Laker family with a proven track record and a tremendous amount of respect around the league. Thomas has worked very hard through the ranks of the video department, player development and the NBA Development League to earn this position. I’m delighted to retain Mark, Clay, Larry, Tom and J.J., who are all highly qualified and have worked tirelessly with our players throughout the summer to prepare for next season. I can say with certainty that our staff is dedicated to upholding the winning culture and tradition of the Los Angeles Lakers.”
Pressey, who brings 31 seasons of NBA experience as a coach and player, previously worked with Scott as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2010-13, and the New Orleans Hornets for three seasons from 2007-10. Prior to New Orleans, he was an assistant coach with the Celtics as a member of Doc Rivers’ staff from 2004-06 and served as advance scout for Boston during the 2006-07 season. Pressey also spent time with the Orlando Magic (2000-04), San Antonio Spurs (1994-2000), and Golden State Warriors (1992-94) as an assistant coach, including helping the Spurs win their first-ever NBA Championship in 1999. He was originally named an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors prior to the 1992-93 season, but injuries forced him back into uniform, where he appeared in 18 games.
The Richmond, VA native was drafted 20th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1982 NBA Draft and played the first eight of his 11 NBA seasons in Milwaukee, followed by stops in San Antonio (1990-92) and Golden State (1992-93). In 724 career games (420 starts), Pressey, the father of Celtics guard Phil Pressey, averaged 10.6 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. The 6’5’’ guard/forward was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team during both the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons and All-Defensive Second Team in 1986-87.
Eyen originally worked with the Lakers as an assistant coach to Pat Riley during the 1989-90 season and remained with the team from 1990-92 as an assistant coach to Mike Dunleavy, helping Los Angeles to the NBA Finals in 1991. In an assistant coaching capacity, he followed Dunleavy to Milwaukee from 1992-96, then to Portland from 1997-2001, and finally back to the Clippers (the franchise with which he began his NBA journey as an assistant coach in 1988-89) as lead assistant from 2003-09. In between coaching stints, Eyen remained in the NBA, spending the 1996-97 season as a pro and advance scout for the Knicks and the 2002-03 campaign as a college scout, also for New York.
Most recently, the University of California at Santa Barbara alumnus and letter-winner was an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings for four seasons from 2009-13, totaling 24 seasons of NBA experience as a coach and scout, and 31 years of combined coaching experience at the professional, collegiate (UCSB and Santa Barbara City College), and high school (Dos Pueblos in Goleta, CA) levels. He has also served as a consultant for professional clubs in the Netherlands, Germany and Japan, in addition to working with the Japanese National Team in 1996.
His two prior seasons were spent as Alex Jensen’s lead assistant for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ NBA D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, which saw the team claim back-to-back playoff appearances, the 2013 East Division title, and Jensen (now an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz) win 2013 NBA D-League Coach of the Year. Scott spent the 2010-11 campaign as a player development/video coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers, preceded by four seasons (2006-10) served as assistant video coordinator for the New Orleans Hornets.
In additional moves, the basketball operations department announced the promotion of Rondre Jackson to director of player development and the hiring of Jordan Wilkes as basketball operations assistant.
Winnefeld Visits Invictus Games
By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Chris Powell LONDON, Sept. 16, 2014 - Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, attended the first day of the Invictus Games Sept. 11, where he spoke with competitors, presented medals and met with Prince Harry and senior foreign military officials.
"One of the things I've learned while watching [the competitors] is the triumph of ability over disability," Winnefeld said. "These folks have given so much to their country and they've suffered wounds -- both internal and external. They're showing us through their hard work, their teamwork and their companionship that they're able to overcome all of that and become something that's bigger than their injury." This was the first year of the Invictus Games, which were founded by The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and the Ministry of Defense following a visit by the prince to the 2013 Warrior Games in Colorado. The games are named after William Earnest Henley's 1875 poem titled "Invictus," which he wrote while recovering from an intensive surgery that saved his second leg from being amputated. They were held at London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the Lee Valley Athletics Centre and ended Sept. 14. Athletes competed in various Paralympic-style events, including swimming, track and field, seated volleyball, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby. The admiral said the Invictus Games are also about helping the athletes competing prove something to themselves. "The wounded warriors get internal and external things that are very important. Internally, they prove to themselves that they can rise above their injury through hard work, and dedication enables them to do things they never thought they'd be able to do," he said. "Externally, they get to see the tremendous love, adoration and respect that these great audiences and their family members have for them." More than 400 service members -- including 98 Americans -- from 14 nations competed in the games, and Winnefeld stressed the importance of participation by coalition partner nations. "Each one of these people were injured or wounded in the coalition fight," he said. "We go to war against extremism and terrorism as a coalition and to come back here together as that same coalition ... is a great reminder that it started as coalition and ended as a coalition." The word 'Invictus' means 'unconquered' and the term "embodies the fighting spirit of the wounded, injured and sick service personnel and what these tenacious men and women can achieve post-injury," according to the Invictus Games website. | ||
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BROAD GREEN TAKES US RIGHTS TO HYDE PARK
LOS ANGELES (September 16, 2014) – Broad Green Pictures (BGP) announced today that they have acquired all US rights to Ramin Bahrani’s feature 99 HOMES. BGP plans to release the film, which received rave reviews through the Venice, Telluride, and Toronto Film Festivals, in the spring of 2015 in theaters across the country and launch an Oscar campaign.
Directed and co-written by Bahrani, and produced by Ashok Amritraj, Bahrani, Kevin Turen and Justin Nappi, 99 HOMES stars Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern and Noah Lomax.
The film, which was financed and produced by Hyde Park-Image Nation, premiered recently at the Toronto International Film Festival and has been one of the most talked about domestic acquisitions titles at the festival. The film had numerous offers from other distributors before Broad Green won the hotly contested bidding war. Hyde Park is currently in negotiations for many of the remaining territories as well.
Coined by critics as the first "humanist thriller," this fast-paced deal-with-the-devil film is set in sunny Orlando, Florida, where construction worker Dennis Nash (Andrew Garfield) is evicted from his home by a charismatic, gun-toting real-estate broker Mike Carver (Michael Shannon), and forced to move his mom (Laura Dern) and young son into a shabby motel. Carver seduces Nash into a risky world of stealing from banks and the government. Nash makes big money; but there's a cost. On Carver's orders, Nash must evict honest families from their homes – just as it happened to him- and will have to choose between destroying an honest man for the ultimate win or going against Carver and finding redemption.
"I'm very happy to partner with Broad Green Pictures. Their passion and plan for this film felt like the perfect way to bring it to the US," said Bahrani. "What excited me the most was to see that audiences' reactions in all the festivals was so tremendous. Their passionate and visceral reaction convinced all of us that the country needs and wants to see a film like this. I'm thrilled to have such committed partners to make sure this film reaches a very wide audience."
BGP Chief Creative Officer Daniel Hammond, speaking on behalf of Broad Green stated, “We are so excited to have the opportunity to support the incredible message behind the vision of a world class filmmaker and the performances of Andrew Garfield and Michael Shannon. Broad Green could not be more excited to share this film with as wide of an audience as possible and create real world changes for the themes it represents. ”The deal for 99 HOMES was negotiated by Ashok Amritraj for Hyde Park – Image Nation, CAA on behalf of the filmmakers, and by CEO Gabriel Hammond for Broad Green Pictures.
About Hyde Park Entertainment – Image Nation
Amritraj’s Hyde Park and Image Nation Abu Dhabi partnered in November 2008 on a financing deal to finance and produce a slate of films. In addition to 99 HOMES, the company’s projects include the upcoming family adventure MIDNIGHT SUN, from Award Winning Director Roger Spottiswoode, and the currently in release LIFE OF CRIME starring Jennifer Aniston, Tim Robbins, John Hawkes, Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), Isla Fisher and Will Forte, which was the 2013 Toronto Film Festival’s Closing Night Film. Past films include GHOST RIDER 2: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE and the Emmy award-winning LOST CHRISTMAS.
A HERO'S MOMENT
DOD Contracts
AIR FORCE
United Launch Services LLC, Littleton, Colorado, has been awarded a $938,372,859 modification (P00048) to previously awarded FA8811-13-C-0003 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for fiscal 2015 EELV launch capability for the Delta IV and Atlas V families of launch vehicles. This contract provides for mission assurance, program management, systems engineering, integration of the space vehicle with the launch vehicle, launch site and range operations, and launch infrastructure maintenance and sustainment. Work will be performed at Littleton, Colorado; Vandenberg Air Force Base, California; and Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2015. Fiscal 2014 missile procurement funds in the amount of $231,831,252 are being obligated at the time of award. The Launch Systems Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity.
United Technologies Corporation, Pratt & Whitney Division, East Hartford, Connecticut, has been awarded a $6,983,002 modification (P00125) to previously awarded contract FA8611-08-C-2896 for a rotable parts pool for the F119 PW-100 engines. Work will be performed at East Hartford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2014. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $6,983,002 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
The Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services, Madison, Mississippi, has been awarded a $6,915,012 modification (P00019) to exercise the second option for the firm-fixed-price contract FA3010-13-C-0005 for full food services. Work will be performed at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2017. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance funds will be obligated when funds are made available. This is a multiple-years contract. The 81st Contracting Squadron, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, is the contracting activity.
ARMY
Laboratory Corp. of America, Burlington, North Carolina, was awarded a $52,365,750 modification (P00012) to firm-fixed-price contract W81K04-12-D-0017 for laboratory testing services for all military members and dependents. Funding and work location will be determined with each order. Estimated completion date is Sept. 30, 2015. Army Medical Command, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity.
Advanced Reconnaissance Corp.,* Fishkill, New York (W911QX-14-D-0007); Applied Research Associates, Inc., Albuquerque, New Mexico (W911QX-14-D-0008); A-T Solutions, Inc.,* Fredericksburg, Virginia (W911QX-14-D-0009); CyPhy Works, Inc., Danvers, Massachusetts (W911QX-14-D-0010); EFW Inc., Ft. Worth, Texas (W911QX-14-D-0011); L-3 Communications Corp., Camden, New Jersey (W911QX-14-D-0012); NIITEK, Inc., Dulles, Virginia (W911QX-14-D-0013); Primal Innovation,* LLC, Sanford, Florida (W911QX-14-D-0014); QinetiQ, Inc., Centreville, Virginia (W911QX-14-D-0015); Robo-Team NA, Inc.,* Bethesda, Maryland (W911QX-14-D-0016); Advanced Technology Systems Co., Inc. (of Virginia), McLean, Virginia (W911QX-14-D-0017); Applied Research Associates, Inc., Albuquerque, New Mexico (W911QX-14-D-0018); iRobot Corp.,* Bedford, Massachusetts (W911QX-14-D-0019); K2 Solutions, Inc.,* Southern Pines, North Carolina (W911QX-14-D-0020); Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies, L.C., Orem, Utah (W911QX-14-D-0021); QinetiQ, Inc., Centreville, Virginia (W911QX-14-D-0023); Robo-Team NA, Inc.,* Bethesda, Maryland (W911QX-14-D-0024); Stolar Research Corp.,* Rio Rancho, New Mexico (W911QX-14-D-0026); Science and Engineering Services, LLC, Columbia, Maryland (W911QX-14-D-0025); and Pearson Engineering Ltd., Newcastle Upon Tyne, Great Britain (W911QX-14-D-0022), were collectively awarded a ceiling $49,497,158 indefinite- delivery/indefinite-quantity, multi-year contract for the Army Research Lab/Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization Culvert Denial Challenge program. The contract covers the initial task order challenge event, through possible future testing, development, and deployment. Funding and work location will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 15, 2019. This award includes a minimum of guarantee of $3,400 that will be obligated on the first task order. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with 27 received. Army Contracting Command, Adelphi, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Akima Construction Services, LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska, was awarded a $44,000,000 modification (P00003) to firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract W91ZLK-13-D-0026 for all plant, labor, material, equipment and transportation necessary to perform facilities maintenance, alterations, repair and minor construction work in the Aberdeen and Edgewood areas of Aberdeen Proving Ground, as well as various satellite off-post site locations. Funding will be determined with each order. Estimated completion date is Sept. 16, 2015. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Banneker Ventures, LLC,* Baltimore, Maryland, was awarded a $44,000,000 modification (P00003) to firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract W91ZLK-13-D-0027 for all plant, labor, material, equipment and transportation necessary to perform facilities maintenance, alterations, repair and minor construction work in the Aberdeen and Edgewood areas of Aberdeen Proving Ground, as well as various satellite off-post site locations. Funding will be determined with each order. Estimated completion date is Sept. 16, 2015. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Wycliffe Enterprises, Inc.,* Frederick, Maryland, was awarded a $44,000,000 modification (P00004) to firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract W91ZLK-13-D-0030 for all plant, labor, material, equipment and transportation necessary to perform facilities maintenance, alterations, repair and minor construction work in the Aberdeen and Edgewood areas of Aberdeen Proving Ground, as well as various satellite off-post site locations. Funding will be determined with each order. Estimated completion date is Sept. 16, 2015. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Bering Straits Technical Services, LLC,* Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, was awarded a $40,800,705 modification (P00002) to firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract W91ZLK-13-D-0028 for all plant, labor, material, equipment and transportation necessary to perform facilities maintenance, alterations, repair and minor construction work in the Aberdeen and Edgewood areas of Aberdeen Proving Ground, as well as various satellite off-post site locations. Funding will be determined with each order. Estimated completion date is Sept. 16, 2015. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Patriot Construction, LLC,* Dunkirk, Maryland, was awarded a $34,775,000 modification (P00002) to firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract W91ZLK-13-D-0029 for all plant, labor, material, equipment and transportation necessary to perform facilities maintenance, alterations, repair and minor construction work in the Aberdeen and Edgewood areas of Aberdeen Proving Ground, as well as various satellite off-post site locations. Funding will be determined with each order. Estimated completion date is Sept. 16, 2015. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
James Talcott Construction Co,* Great Falls, Montana, was awarded a $20,253,013 firm-fixed-price contract for an additional C130 maintenance hangar/fuel cell, corrosion control, building for the Montana Air National Guard. Work will be performed in Great Falls, Montana, with an estimated completion date ofSept. 30, 2016. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with six received. Fiscal 2014 military construction funds in the amount of $20,253,013 are being obligated at the time of the award. National Guard Bureau - Montana, Helena, Montana, is the contracting activity (W9124V-14-C-0004).
Kokosing Construction Co., Inc., Fredericktown, Ohio, was awarded an $18,920,840 firm-fixed-price contract for repair of the damage to the Oswego Harbor breakwater by Hurricane Sandy, to include setting bedding stone, underlayer stone, armor stone, and dolosse structures. Work will be performed in Oswego, New York, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2016. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with two received. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $18,920,840 are being obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo, New York, is the contracting activity (W912P4-14-C-0021).
CACI-ISS, Inc., Chantilly, Virginia, was awarded a $14,816,251 modification (P00014) to contract W81K04-13-F-0013, a follow-on requirement for medical logistics non-personal services in support of the Air Force Expeditionary/Contingency Medical Materiel Program performed at Department of Defense and Air Reserve/Guard installations within the continental United States and in the Pacific theater of operations. A small portion of these services supports Army prepositioned stock (APS) and unit deployment package requirements on Air Force installations. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $14,816,251 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is Sept. 30, 2015. Work will be performed at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina; Langley Air Force Base, Virginia; Hurlburt Field, Florida; McChord Air Force Base, Washington; March Air Force Base, California; Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico; McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey; Kelly Consolidated War Reserve Materiel Storage and Deployment Center, San Antonio, Texas; Charleston, South Carolina; Fort Detrick, Maryland; Scott Air Force Base, Illinois; Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; Moody Air Force Base, Georgia; Travis Air Force Base, California; Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona; Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland; Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi; MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Alpena, Michigan; Topeka Air National Guard, Kansas; Willow Grove, Pennsylvania; Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington; and Charleston APS, South Carolina. Army Medical Command, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity.
Sikorsky Aircraft Co., Stratford, Connecticut, was awarded a $14,538,253 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for maintenance and overhaul of UH-60 mechanical transmissions. Funding and work location will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2016. Four bids were solicited, with two received. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-14-D-0022).
Avon Protection Systems, Cadillac, Michigan, was awarded a $13,700,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multi-year contract for a sustainment contract for the M53 Joint Service General Purpose Mask. Funding and work location will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 13, 2019. One bid was solicited, with one received. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-14-D-0132).
Stanford University, Stanford, California, was awarded a $12,168,354 incrementally-funded cost contract for research and development for the "Brain Trauma Evidence-based Consortium." This contract is being awarded via the Naval Health Research Center broad agency announcement. Work will be performed in Stanford, California, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 14, 2017. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with one received. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $5,391,240 are being obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Natick, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (W911QY-14-C-0086).
S&K Electronics,* Ronan, Montana, was awarded a $7,347,881 firm-fixed-price, five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multi-year contract for the M3 Heater. Funding and work location will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date ofSept. 18, 2019. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with four received. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-14-D-0141).
NAVY
Alion Science and Technology Corp., Burr Ridge, Illinois, is being awarded a $41,758,729 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-12-C-4401) to increase the level of effort available to provide mission critical professional support services in support of the Surface Warfare Directorate. The contract provides necessary program management, engineering, logistics, technical support, planning and readiness support, fleet introduction training and financial management support services in support of ongoing maintenance and modernization efforts. Work will be performed in Washington, District of Columbia (56 percent); Norfolk, Virginia (23 percent); San Diego, California (6 percent); Pascagoula, Mississippi (6 percent); Bath, Maine (3 percent); Mayport, Florida (2 percent); Japan (2 percent); and other locations less than 1 percent (2 percent), and is expected to be completed by June 2015. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $22,570,523 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
Walbridge Aldinger Co., Detroit, Michigan, is being awarded $9,982,290 for firm-fixed-price task order 0006 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N40085-10-D-5331) for construction of an aerial target operation facility at Naval Air Station Oceana, Dam Neck Annex. The work to be performed provides for the construction of a three-story facility with concrete masonry unit walls and structural steel framing on pile foundation with an operational control room for the third level; a stand-alone center-of gravity building with concrete masonry unit walls on pile foundation and structural steel framing with a range operations center; a launch site for eight aerial targets; a mass notification and fire protection system with fire booster pump; repairs to an existing aerial target launch pad; and connections to an existing septic tank sewer system to the base's main sewer system. The task order also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised, would increase cumulative task order value to $10,159,940. Work will be performed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by October 2016. Fiscal 2014 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $9,982,290 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Connecticut, is being awarded $9,242,869 for cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price modification to previously issued delivery order 4010 against Basic Ordering Agreement N00019-14-G-0004. This order provides for non-recurring efforts in support of the cabin interior and the environmental control system redesign of the VH-3D aircraft, including VIP seats, cabin interior kit, and special tooling. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed in August 2016. Fiscal 2014 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,242,869 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
RQ Construction, LLC, Carlsbad, California, is being awarded $6,681,000 for firm-fixed-price task order 0016 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-10-D-5409) for renovation of Sterile Processing Department Building 1 at Naval Medical Center San Diego. This extensive renovation constitutes a complete reconfiguration of the existing sterilization processing department including the receiving/decontamination, pre-sterile, sterile, offices, and support functions. The task order also contains one planned modification, which if exercised, would increase cumulative task order value to $6,998,100. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by March 2016. Fiscal 2014 operation and maintenance (Defense Health Program) contract funds in the amount of $6,681,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Lockheed Martin Corporation, Owego, New York, has been awarded a minimum $13,983,000 firm-fixed-price contract for aircraft mission computers. This contract was a sole-source acquisition. This is a four-year base contract, with no option periods. Location of performance is New York, with a July 31, 2018, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 Navy working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPRWA1-13-D-2000-THB1).
Federal Prison Industries, Inc., doing business as UNICOR, Washington, District of Columbia, has been awarded a maximum $13,533,000 modification (P00102) on a one-year base contract (SPM1C1-12-D-P512), with two one-year option periods. This is a firm-fixed-price contract for Army physical fitness uniform jackets. Locations of performance are Washington, District of Columbia, and Virginia, with a Sept. 19, 2015, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
*Small business