Image credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/P. Slane et al.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
MSH 11-62 Supernova Remnant
5 Tips for New Year’s Resolutions in 2015 Doctor Tells You How to Beat the Odds
If you’re one of the millions of Americans who will make a promise to improve yourself this New Year, there’s bad news: You’re 92 percent likely to fail in sticking to your resolutions, says arecent study from the University of Scranton’s Journal of Clinical Psychology.
About 45 percent of Americans make resolutions. Ranking at the top is losing weight, and staying fit and healthy ranks No. 5.
“Of course, those statistics represent the average – you don’t have to be average!” says Dr. Virender Sodhi, founder of the Ayurvedic and Naturopathic Medical Clinic, (ayurvedicscience.com), which provides complementary and alternative medicine.
“There are plenty of things individuals can do to improve their odds of success if they resolve to become healthier and fitter.”
Dr. Sodhi, author of the new guide, “Ayurvedic Herbs: The Comprehensive Resource for Ayurvedic Healing Solutions,” (www.ayush.com) believes we can move much closer to a world of disease-free societies by following the laws of Mother Nature. Individual commitment to health via New Year’s resolutions is one path to take us there. Dr. Sodhi offers five tips for staying true to your goals.
• Get away from the instant-gratification mentality and avoid unrealistic goals. Don’t expect to go from zero to 60 – 60 being your ideal body image – in just a few months, especially if you have little background in training. Unfortunately, most who have resolutions like losing plenty of weight and quitting smoking are used to easy snack foods and quick rewards. Health is a long-term labor of love; commit to the love and wait for results.
• Establish good habits! People make resolutions because they know they’re important, but they’re hard. With each passing week, more people drop their promises for self-improvement. You’ll want to set the right goals; if you want to lose 100 pounds, focus on the first 10, and then the next. Make sure to establish new and good habits – it takes about 28 days to stick. Once you train your mind with good habits, achieving your goals becomes much easier.
• What you should expect from your “labor of love.” Frequency, intensity and time – these are the three investments you’ll need for losing weight or gaining muscle. As a general rule, exercise at least 30 minutes three to four times a week. Make sure to start with the appropriate intensity for your health; too little intensity and you’ll see little if any results, but too much and you’ll be prone to quit. Don’t think that it’s always better to exercise for a longer duration. What matters isquality. Increase time and intensity once you comfortably meet goals.
• Solidify the gains with persistent positive reinforcement. Learn to reward yourself in a new way by paying attention to the gains in your body. Notice the improvement in stress levels, breathing, energy, sex life, mood and overall strength. While these improvements are wide-ranging and palpable, they increase over time and can be subtle. Don’t let these improvements occur without a personal recognition of your accomplishments.
• Embrace supplemental support. Of course, all health efforts are connected to your overall well-being. When you make the investment to eat more vegetables, you’re reinforcing your commitment to exercise. Consider practices such as yoga and meditation, which will feed your health kick and provide unexpected benefits. Additionally, supplements such as kelp, green tea extract, Commiphora mukul (Guggul) and Bauhinia variegata (Kachnar) can yield even more health benefits. And, spices such as garlic, onion, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, long pepper, and cayenne pepper all have important thermogenic properties, which stimulates metabolism.
About Virender Sodhi, M.D., N.D.
Dr. Virender Sodhi was the first Ayurvedic and Naturopathic physician in the United States. He is the author of “Ayurvedic Herbs: The Comprehensive Resource for Ayurvedic Healing Solutions,” (www.ayush.com) and founder of the Ayurvedic and Naturopathic Medical Clinic, (ayurvedicscience.com). Dr. Sodhi earned his M.D. (Ayurved) in 1980 from the Dayanand Ayurvedic Medical College in Jalandar, India. He served as a college professor in India until 1986, when the Indian government selected him to share Ayurveda with Western society as part of a cultural exchange program. He finished his fellowship in Integrative Oncology with Dr. Mark Rosenberg in 2012. Dr. Sodhi is a visiting professor at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Scottsdale, Ariz., at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, and at Des Moines University in Iowa.
BEST BET/ TV HIGHLIGHT
NEW LIVE-ACTION KIDS SERIES
“ODD SQUAD” PREMIERES
NOVEMBER 26 AT 9 AM ON PBS SOCAL
Follow two young agents as they use math to put things right when oddness strikes on “Odd Squad” premieringWednesday, November 26 at 9 a.m. on PBS SoCaL.
ODD SQUAD is a new live-action media series designed to help kids ages 5-8 learn math. The show focuses on two young agents, Olive and Otto, who are part of the Odd Squad, an agency whose mission is to save the day whenever something unusual happens in their town. Olive and Otto solve cases ranging from disappearing zeroes to runaway dinosaurs, and the agents often find additional clues in the “Mathroom,” a futuristic space that is just a teleport away. ODD SQUAD is created by Tim McKeon (The Electric Company, Fosterʼs Home for Imaginary Friends, Adventure Time) and Adam Peltzman (The Electric Company, The Backyardigans, Wallykazam!) and produced by The Fred Rogers Company and Sinking Ship Entertainment.
About PBS SoCaL
PBS SoCaL is PBS for Greater Los Angeles serving as
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Pentagon Expo to Feature Art Therapy for 'Invisible Wounds'
By Terri Moon Cronk
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2014 - Art therapy has evolved in the last several years as treatment to help service members express what they want to "symbolize about themselves" after suffering the invisible wounds of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a Defense Department art therapist said yesterday.
Those invisible wounds are traumatic brain injuries and psychological health conditions such as post-traumatic stress syndrome, noted Melissa Walker, an art therapist and the healing arts program coordinator at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
"Art therapy gives service members a nonverbal way to express themselves and make those invisible wounds visible," she said.
Pentagon employees will be able to see some of those expressions this week through the works of art created by service members who went through Walker's program. Fifteen pieces of art will be on display Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Warrior Care Month Rehabilitation Expo at Apex 1 and 2 of the Pentagon's second floor.
A Show of Strength
"Show of Strength" is this year's theme for the November recognition.
"When I work with service members in art therapy, I see a lot of the resilience they experience, partially through art making, and reflecting and growing from their experiences," Walker said. "I see a lot of strength in them from what they've been through, and in their healing processes, some of them say they've become better people than before they were injured."
In a four-week, intensive outpatient program for service members who are diagnosed with both invisible wounds but haven't responded to conventional treatment, the National Intrepid Center of Excellence staff evaluates and treats such complex cases, and Walker's art program is a prescribed therapy.
Walker -- along with a music therapist and professional creative writers -- takes service members through a creative process to allow them to reflect and organize their thoughts to get at issues that are troubling them.
Underlying Thoughts Show Through Art
The art therapy program begins with Walker giving each service member a blank mask to design, using a variety of art supplies that can range from paint and beads to magazine clippings, she said. The results vary widely, as service members express themselves while working in small groups of five people to encourage socialization, she added.
The finished masks depict a broad spectrum of their concerns and hopes -- from losing battle buddies to sustaining injuries, to expressing feelings toward family members, to showing hope for the future, she explained.
Art is Symbolism
"I tell them the masks have some symbolism related to [their] identity and how some of them are probably going through transitional phases, trying to figure out who they've become since being injured and who they will become once they go through the healing process," Walker said.
Later in the four-week program, Walker assigns service members a montage project and tells them to depict something about themselves, such as the evolution of their treatment. Many show their past, present and future, she said.
Walker also offers individual sessions where service members can work on a choice of projects. Some choose to design a box, which might represent "someone who's trying to find his soul, which he feels he left behind in theater," she said.
"Some depict the scene of where they were injured based on what they remember, or they might [design] something they're envisioning at that moment because it's been haunting them," she added.
The service members tell Walker her art therapy program is one of the treatments that helped them open up when they couldn't do so before, Walker said.
"They tell me, 'I understand so much better what I'm going through now, and why I was so stressed out before I came here,'" she said. "For them, that's the biggest step: identifying what they have to work on."
Face of Defense: Soldier Earns Kudos for Intervention Training
By J.D. Leipold
Army News Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2014 - Chief Warrant Officer 5 Debra Blankenbaker not only earned the Army's Sexual Assault Prevention Innovation Award, but also received the Defense Department's award for the "bystander intervention" training program she developed.
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Blankenbaker serves with the 7th Civil Support Command in Kaiserslautern, Germany, as her unit's sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention, or SHARP, program manager, and as a sexual assault response coordinator, or SARC, for almost 1,000 soldiers, their families and civilians.
She conceived the idea for bystander intervention training when the Army started giving soldiers scenario-based requirements as part of the SHARP program.
How to Intervene
"This is about how to effectively and safely intervene," Blankenbaker noted, adding that she had done research about the problem of sexual assault on college campuses.
"We adopted the program developed by Arizona State [University] called "Step Up," and in their training, they did the very thing I was just speaking of," she said. "They not only taught the students how to become more aware of circumstances, but they also were teaching them how to safely intervene and not put themselves or the possible victim in harm's way."
Sexual harassment and sexual assault are not the same, Blankenbaker said. But she added that studies have shown about 90 percent of sexual assault cases actually started with harassment that was never addressed, and which escalated to sexual assault.
That's where her 16 trained SHARP coordinators have been a huge help, Blankenbaker said.
"We've got a comfort zone and developed a trust with our soldiers in the program," she said. "We've had a couple of interventions on possible harassment, and because we handled them at that level, they did not escalate to assault."
Raising Awareness
To bring the message to people that it's not acceptable to turn one's back when witnessing, Blankenbaker participates in community events to raise awareness and educate on prevention.
She's also been a consultant on the creation of several American Forces Network public service announcements that drive home the point, she said, with "statistics about unreported cases and cases that could have been brought to adjudication if someone had just gotten involved and helped."
Blankenbaker has written articles for the command newsletter, providing parents with additional topics to discuss with their children, such as the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching, respect for boundaries and personal space, and what does and doesn't constitute consent.
"Our next initiative coming out is an application for smartphones for SHARP in Europe," she said. "Those apps will let someone who's been assaulted know with two clicks who to call instead of trying to remember a phone number with something as traumatic as sexual assault. ... It will bring up a GPS location and tell them where the closest on-call SHARP counselor is."
Go on a Wine Adventure this Holiday Season Stuck on the Same Old Starter Wines? Aficionado Shares Advice for a Maturing Palate
There’s nothing wrong with liking what you like, but you can’t discover new favorites unless you try new things, says wine enthusiast Howard Kleinfeld.
While recovering from throat cancer, Kleinfeld, an award-winning commercial music producer, lost his sense of taste for a few years. When it came back, he decided to embrace some of the finest tastes life had to offer and has since traveled the world to satisfy his obsession with wine.
“I became someone who decided to say ‘yes’ to many of the things I used to say ‘no’ to, which has enriched my life tremendously with adventure,” says Kleinfeld, author (as Howard K) of “Dial M for Merlot,”www.DialMForMerlot.com, a lighthearted novel imbued with its character’s passion for wine.
“But you don’t have to book a trip to Napa or the Bordeaux region of France. You just have to be willing to try a new type of wine.”
Wine has grown increasingly popular in America in recent decades. The preference of just one in four in 1992, it’s now the alcoholic beverage of choice for 35 percent of us, which is just one percent less than beer, according to a 2013 Gallup poll.
“With all the holiday parties and family gatherings, it’s a great time of year to expand one’s ‘Wine-Q’,” says Kleinfeld, who offers the following suggestions.
• If you like white zinfandel, consider a Riesling.
White zin is the “Kool-Aid of wine.” It can be a good introduction to the wonderful world of wine because it’s sweet, and everybody likes sugar. But there are a number of wines at many price points that are also sweet and carry a much more interesting profile -- a fuller body, honey and pear or apple notes and much more. Riesling and Gewürztraminer wines are a great place to start.Fun fact: red zinfandel hails from the same grape as white zinfandel, except the red variety includes the grape’s skin – white does not. The skin gives the wine a more robust flavor and color than its popular cousin, deep, rich and full of zest. It’s quite different from white zin, but worth investigating with a curious palate.
• If your go-to white wine is strictly Chardonnay, try a bottle of white from the Côtes du Rhône or a sauvignon blanc from just about anywhere.
Wine can be confusing because varieties may refer to a grape, a region or both. Chardonnay refers to a specific green-skinned grape and is grown all over the world, most notably in Burgundy, France. Côtes du Rhône is from the region of France of the same name and is usually made from a blend of grapes, none of which, by the way, are chardonnay.Chardonnay is very popular and, it is said, a rite-of-passage grape for wineries. While Chardonnay is a relatively straightforward selection, Côtes du Rhône offers white and red varieties that will be fun crowd-pleasers at parties, and it’s inexpensive. An export grape from the region is Syrah, remarkable for its now-global prevalence, from Washington state to South America to South Africa to Australia, where it’s called Shiraz. For something completely different and light, try sauvignon blanc, which can be herbal and tart , with good acidity and complexity.
“Sauvignon blanc can be like drinking passion fruit – not quite orange, cherry or lemon – just passion fruit,” he says. “I’ll never forget one time I had it with tuna sashimi. It was such a perfect pairing…These are the things that make life great
• If you like Moscato before dinner, try Sauternes or port wine with dessert.
Again, sweet wines are popular, but Sauternes from the region of Bordeaux with the same name, has a distinct flavor because of a unique geographical attribute. Sauternes is made from Sémillon, Sauvignon blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by a fungus that usually causes souring. But, thanks to the weather in the Sauternes region, the fungus instead adds sweetness and complexity to wine. Varieties range from very sweet to dry as a bone. Port, Portuguese fortified wine, and Sauternes are amazing with nuts, blue cheese and foie gras, or goose liver pâté, slathered on baguette, Kleinfeld says.• If you think it’s time to outgrow merlot … try another merlot.
Ever since the movie “Sideways,” merlot has gotten a bad rap. Yes, some varieties can be fruit bombs (and there’s nothing wrong with that!), but others are deep, rich and structured. On a wide range of levels, merlot can provide a nuanced and rewarding experience.“Don’t be afraid to drink merlot just because you may have heard it’s not hip,” says Kleinfeld. “It can stand on its own and is also a big-time blending grape in some of the world’s most famous wines. It’s the king of the ‘right bank’ region of Bordeaux.”
About Howard Kleinfeld (Howard K)
Howard Kleinfeld is a full-time wine enthusiast, part-time foodie, and first-time author. His new novel, “Dial M for Merlot,”www.DialMForMerlot.com, written under the pen name Howard K, follows a 30-year-old math whiz’s intoxicating journey of wine discovery. Kleinfeld is a longtime singer-songwriter whose compositions/productions for advertising, TV shows and indie films have earned him Emmy, Telly and Addy awards.
Developing Leaders is NDU's Core Mission, Dempsey Says
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
FORT LESLEY J. McNAIR, Washington, D.C., Nov. 18, 2014 - Developing leaders that champion innovation is the core mission of the National Defense University, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at the assumption of the presidency of the institution today.
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey placed the flag of the university in the hands of Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Frederick M. Padilla, who took over as president of "the Chairman's university" from Ambassador Wanda L. Nesbitt during a ceremony at Lincoln Hall here.
The National Defense University is the premier joint professional military education institution in America. In addition to military officers, students include DoD civilians, civilians from other government agencies and international students.
"Of all the things that we have to preserve in the National Defense University it is that interagency, whole-of-government, multinational relationship building that will get us through what the future holds for us," Dempsey said during remarks at the ceremony.
Preparing Senior Leaders
The university prepares students to be leaders in the national security world. Graduates are general or flag officers, ambassadors, and other senior leaders in other national security fields. They must be prepared to confront the world they find.
"I deal as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs with two sets of problems," Dempsey said. "One set of problems is related to state-on-state interactions."
These state-on-state interactions are generally "knowable," the chairman said. Nation states have a body of knowledge among them. They have a history and that accumulated experience helps all understand how to interact as nations and what part the military instrument of power plays in these interactions, Dempsey said.
Militaries in state-on-state interactions tend to differentiate themselves by size and technology, the chairman said.
The other set of problems is unknowable, he said. "They are complex in the sense that every time you touch them, you change them, and when you change them you have to readjust your thinking about them," Dempsey said. This includes terrorism, transnational criminal cartels, even international and national disasters and humanitarian crises.
"The use of the military instrument of power against nonstate actors -- or even against infectious disease as we've found -- are actually uses that are unknowable," Dempsey said.
"In that world the way we differentiate ourselves is not by size and technology, but rather by the rate of innovation," the chairman said.
Success Depends Upon Innovation
The fruits of success "will go to he or she that innovates more rapidly, more thoughtfully and more effectively," the general said.
NDU gives students the opportunity to think about and prepare for these issues, "because very quickly after graduation your time to think will shrink rather rapidly," the general said.
"What you learn and absorb here, and the person you are when you leave here, and the relationships you've built, that can't be copied, can't be sold, can't be replicated," the chairman said. "That's what provides us with the decisive edge for the world that we face."
The chairman said university leaders will make changes as needed so that NDU continues as "the preeminent leadership development institution in the world."
LEJEUNE TALK
11/18/2014 01:45 PM CST
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel talks to US Marines assigned to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) on Camp Lejeune, NC, Nov. 18. 2014.
SUNSET TRAINING
11/18/2014 02:04 PM CST
U.S. Marines conduct a machine gun range during sustainment training in D'Arta Plage, Djibouti, Nov. 12, 2014. The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit is deployed to maintain regional security in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. The Marines are assigned to Fox Company, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
CEREMONIAL ROUNDS
11/18/2014 02:04 PM CST
U.S. soldiers fire ceremonial rounds from M1A2 Abrams Tanks at the Adazi Training Area, Latvia, Nov. 6, 2014. The soldiers are helping to train the Latvian Land Forces as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve. The solders are assigned to 1st Cavalry Division, Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team.
LOVING EMBRACE
11/18/2014 02:04 PM CST
Navy Cmdr. Raymond Barnes holds his daughter during his squadron's homecoming on Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Va., Nov. 14, 2014. Barnes is the executive officer assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 87. Strike Fighter Squadron 87 returned home after a nine-month deployment on the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush.
JOINT FORCES
11/18/2014 02:04 PM CST
U.S. Marines and Royal Brunei Land Forces conduct military operations in urban terrain training during Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training Brunei 2014 on Camp Penanjong, Brunei , Nov. 13, 2014. The annual bilateral exercise includes the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the armed forces of nine partner nations including Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Timor-Leste.
JOINT FORMATION
11/18/2014 02:04 PM CST
F-22 Raptors and F-35 Lightening IIs fly in formation over Eglin Training Range, Fla., after completing an integration training mission, Nov. 5, 2014. The F-22s are assigned to the 94th Fighter Squadron on Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. The F-35s are assigned to the 58th Fighter Squadron on Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
SAILORS RETURN
Sailors haul mooring lines for the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush as the ship returns after a nine-month deployment to homeport on Naval Station Norfolk, Va., Nov. 15, 2014.
Secretary: Russia's Actions 'Dangerous And Irresponsible'
By Nick Simeone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2014 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today called Russia's actions in Ukraine "dangerous and irresponsible" and said the tensions provoked by Moscow have probably done more to unify NATO than anything else in years.
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"It has brought the world together in a way where they are isolating themselves by their actions," Hagel said of Russia, as he took questions from Marines during a visit to North Carolina's Camp Lejeune.
'Very Dangerous' Actions
One service member asked the defense secretary if he envisioned the United States becoming more involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Russia's actions toward Ukraine, as well as stepped-up Russian military air flights over European airspace and plans for similar flights over the Gulf of Mexico are "very dangerous," Hagel said.
"The violations of sovereignty and international law that the Russians have perpetuated continue to require responses," the defense secretary said. The United States is working with NATO "in shifting our entire rotational rapid deployment focus," he added.
U.S. European Command chief Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove , who is also NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe, has said Russian military equipment continues to flow across the border into Ukraine, something Russia denies.
DOD CONTRACTS
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., Akron, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $43,670,662 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract for ground vehicle tire support. This contract was a competitive acquisition, and five offers were received. This is a two-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Location of performance is Ohio with a Nov. 17, 2016, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7L1-15-D-0006).
Excel Garment Manufacturing LTD,* El Paso, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $7,189,424 firm-fixed-price modification (P00106) exercising the first option year to one-year base contract (SPM1C1-14-D-1006) with four one-year option periods for men's and women's coats and trousers. Location of performance is Texas with a Nov. 19, 2015, performance completion date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
NAVY
Rolls-Royce Engine Services-Oakland Inc., Oakland, California, was awarded a $17,515,325 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-13-D-0019) to exercise an option for the depot repair of T56-A-427 engines, including the repair of power sections, torque meters, gearboxes, and accessories in support of the E-2 Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. Work will be performed in Oakland, California (97 percent); Indianapolis, Indiana (2 percent); Jacksonville, Florida (.34 percent); Rocky Mount, North Carolina (.33 percent); Mentor, Ohio (.33 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2015. Funds are not being obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Nov. 17, 2014)
Lockheed Martin, Mission Systems and Training, Moorestown, New Jersey, is being awarded a $15,577,396 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-5103) to incrementally fund the Aegis Platform Systems Engineering Agent (PSEA) activities and Aegis Modernization Advanced Capability Build (ACB) engineering. The Aegis PSEA manages the in-service combat systems configurations as well as the integration of new or upgraded capability into the CG 47 class of ships and the DDG 51class of ships. Aegis Modernization will provide upgrades to Aegis cruisers and Aegis destroyers and will be applicable to all Aegis ships with a computer program that is backfit compatible to Baseline 2 cruisers. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey, and is expected to be completed by December 2015. Fiscal 2015 research, development, test and evaluation funding in the amount of $15,577,396 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
PPG Industries Inc., Alexander, Arkansas, is being awarded a $8,931,277 modification under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00033-14-D-8010) with firm-fixed-price delivery orders to exercise a one-year option for the worldwide supply, delivery, and services for shipboard paint, coatings, solvents, and preservation products for Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships and any other government-owned or government-chartered ships designated by MSC. Work will be performed worldwide and is expected to be completed by November 2015. Working capital contract funds in the amount of $8,931,277 are obligated in fiscal 2015 and the funds will expire at the end of that fiscal year. The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
Old Veteran Construction Inc.,** Chicago, Illinois, is being awarded $7,993,841 for firm-fixed-price task order 0004 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N69450-13-D-1766) for design and repair of natural gas distribution at Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany. The work to be performed provides for full repair of the current system and includes installation of underground polyethylene natural gas pipeline, valves, regulators, and fittings. Work will be performed in Albany, Georgia, and is expected to be completed by August 2016. Fiscal 2015 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) contract funds in the amount of $7,993,841 are being obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Two proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity.
*In HubZone Small Business
**Small business
SKI PACKAGE DEALS ARE ONE FOR THE AGES
Big Bear’s Lift & Lodging Packages Start at $89, Includes Lift Ticket Valued at $64
Big Bear Lake, Calif. November 18, 2014 – Big Bear now bundles winter packages that includes room nights with Big Bear Mountain Resorts lift tickets at discounted prices for all ages. It’s the first time Big Bear has included young adults and children in its Lift and Lodging Packages, which now makes it more convenient for families and groups to get discounts seven days a week for the entire party. Big Bear’s Lift & Lodging Package deals, called Ski. Stay. & Save. Packages start as low as $89 midweek and $109 weekends, restrictions apply. The deeply discounted packages include discounted, all-day, interchangeable lift tickets good for both Snow Summit and Bear Mountain, which are regularly priced at $64 midweek / $79 weekends for adults, $53 midweek / $68 weekends for young adults (13-21), and $26 midweek / $34 weekends for children (7-12). Lift tickets are bundled together with discounted accommodations at one of Big Bear’s participating lodges, making it the perfect bargain for those who wish to stay overnight and ski or ride during the day.
“We’ve made it much easier for families to book their winter vacations by providing for all ages to save big,” said Big Bear Visitors Bureau Director of Operations Rebecca Hrabia. “These are great deals considering adult lift tickets start at $64.”
Also new this year, are fewer blackout dates than the previous year including the week leading up to Christmas from December 20 to December 24, and January 19 (MLK Day) and February, 16 (Presidents Day). “Less blackout dates mean more skier days!” added Hrabia.
Both Snow Summit and Bear Mountain provide excellent snow conditions throughout the winter season with more than 435 developed acres, 26 lifts, four high-speed chairs, 1,800 vertical feet, and more than 200 park features. Big Bear is an easy two-hour drive from most Southern California cities and only three hours from Las Vegas making it a convenient winter “stay-cation” within a reasonable driving distance, and it’s an affordable alternative to places like Tahoe, Utah or Colorado.
Quality skiing and riding combined with a wide range of lodging choices such as private home rentals, charming bed & breakfasts, cozy condos and rustic cabins make Big Bear Lake Southern California’s premier ski and snowboard destination. Whether it’s at the base of the slopes, lakefront, in the village, or countryside, every lodge in Big Bear creates a warm and inviting atmosphere that fits every lifestyle and budget.
Lift and Lodging Packages are not valid on select holiday periods. The discounted packages are good for any time of the week with check-in dates starting December 1, 2014 to the end of the 2014/2015 ski season. Price is per person, per night based on double occupancy, and subject to availability. Minimum of two nights of lodging and two days lift tickets for weekend packages are required. At least half of the guests in the party must purchase lift tickets for all packages. Check-in dates for the lodging packages begin December 1, 2014. Lift ticket vouchers and lodging discounts are not valid during the holiday periods; December 25, 2014 to January 4, 2015; January 17-18, 2015, and February 14-15, 2015. Dates are subject to change. Other restrictions may apply. For more details about these great discounted packages, log ontowww.bigbear.com or call 800-424-4232.
PENTAGON WELCOME
11/18/2014 04:21 PM CST
Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work greets Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Gen. Raheel Sharif as he arrives at the Pentagon, Nov. 18, 2014. The two defense leaders met to discuss issues of mutual importance.
SHOULDER WEAPONS
11/18/2014 06:27 PM CST
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel observes female Marines fire shoulder-launched assault weapons on Camp LeJeune, N.C., Nov. 18. 2014. The Marines are assigned to Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force.
DEMPSEY ADDRESS
11/18/2014 04:55 PM CST
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks at the National Defense University's assumption of presidency ceremony on Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C., Nov. 17, 2014.
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