U.S. Delivers Radar Systems to Ukraine

By Terri Moon Cronk
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2014 - The U.S. military delivered three lightweight, counter-mortar radar systems yesterday to Ukrainian armed forces, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters today.

The radar systems are the first few of 20 that will be delivered during the next several weeks and U.S. military members will begin training Ukrainian armed forces in mid-December, Warren said.

Systems 'See' Incoming Mortar Fire

"The radar systems see incoming mortar fire and quickly calculate the point of origin of a mortar round fired by the enemy, and allows friendly forces to react appropriately," the Pentagon spokesman said.

The Ukrainian armed forces will determine how, where and when they will employ the systems, he added.

"It's also up to the Ukrainians if they attach these radar [systems] to a fire-direction system, which will allow for counter battery fires, or if they use them independently and react with ground forces," Warren said.

The radar systems are part of the $118 million in equipment and training the United States has committed to assisting Ukraine's armed forces.

"We're working closely with the Ukrainians through the interagency process," the colonel said.

A U.S. team of about 12 people also recently completed some medical training in Ukraine.

"[The team] assessed Ukraine's need for immediate care, looked at potential long-term capacity building and conducted some battlefield medical training," Warren noted.

New Allotment Rule Protects Troops From Lending Scams

By Terri Moon Cronk
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2014 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has directed a policy change in new paycheck allotments to prevent unscrupulous commercial lenders from taking advantage of troops and their families, Pentagon officials said today.

According to a Defense Department news release published today, effective Jan. 1, 2015, the change in DoD's Financial Management Regulation will prohibit service members from allotting pay to buy, lease or rent personal property, a senior DoD official said.

Improving Protection for Service Members

According to the release, this policy change will eliminate that aspect of the allotment system most prone to abuse by unscrupulous lenders that prey on service members.

This will significantly improve protections for all service members and their families, while not significantly reducing the flexibility to use allotments for a number of legitimate purposes, the release reported.

New Allotment Changes

DoD officials said that while existing allotments are not affected, service members will no longer be able to make allotments for the following types of purchases:

-- Vehicles, such as automobiles, motorcycles and boats;

-- Appliances or household goods, such as furniture, washers and dryers;

-- Electronics, such as laptops, tablets, cell phones and televisions; and

-- Other consumer items that are tangible and moveable.

Allotments still can be used for savings account deposits, investments, to support dependents, pay insurance premiums, mortgages, rents, make Combined Federal Campaign contributions, and U.S. government debt repayments.

Another line of protection for service members and their families is included when starting new allotments through MyPay and manually on DD Form 2558, officials said.

Officials said service members must certify under the Uniform Code of Military Justice that the allotment is not for "the purchase, lease, or rental of personal property of or payment toward personal property."

Reviewing the Allotment System

The secretary directed the change following an interagency review that began in June 2013 in response to a major enforcement action by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The team comprised DoD representatives from the comptroller, Defense Finance and Accounting Service, personnel and readiness, and general counsel offices in the Joint Staff and secretary's offices. Non-DoD participants were from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., CFPB, Federal Reserve Board, Comptroller of the Currency and the National Credit Union Administration.

Defense Officials said a 2012 analysis showed that the top 10 financial institutions that received allotments from service members processed almost two million allotments totaling $3.767 billion. Of the top 10 allotment processors, state law enforcement, consumer advocates, and the financial regulators have flagged three particular institutions as suspected abusers of the allotment system. Those institutions received 999,588 allotments totaling $1.380 billion in fiscal year 2012.

Allotment Usage by Rank

Officials said the 2012 analysis also found that on average per capita, warrant officers use 5.73 allotments, commissioned officers use 3.55 and enlisted personnel use 3.49 allotments, respectively. The dollar average per allotment is highest for warrant officers ($1,679 per allotment), followed by officers ($1,554 per allotment), and then enlisted personnel ($1,224 per allotment).

The new allotment rule applies to active-duty members and not military retirees or DoD civilians, officials said.

PENTAGON WELCOME

11/21/2014 03:02 PM CST

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, escorts Qatar Minister of State for Defense Affairs Maj. Gen. Hamad bin Ali al-Atiyah through an honor cordon into the Pentagon, Nov. 21, 2014. The two defense leaders met to discuss issues of mutual importance.

LAP DOG

11/21/2014 02:18 PM CST

A service dog lies on the lap of Staff Sgt. August O'Niell during an Air Force wounded, ill or injured warrior sitting volleyball practice at the Joint Base Andrews West Fitness Center, Md., Nov. 18, 2014. O'Niell was wounded in July 2011 during a deployment to Afghanistan.

PREFLIGHT CHECK

11/21/2014 02:18 PM CST

Marines perform preflight checks on a KC-130 Hercules aircraft on Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Nov. 17, 2014. The Marines are assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252.

ENGINEERING ROUNDS

11/21/2014 02:18 PM CST

Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Christine E. Doggett climbs out of a scuttle during her engineering rounds aboard the Cutter Hamilton, Nov. 19, 2014.

WEAPONS QUALIFICATION

11/21/2014 02:18 PM CST

U.S. and German soldiers conduct the qualification for the German Armed Forces Badge for Weapons Proficiency on Panzer Range Complex in Boeblingen, Germany, Nov. 19, 2014.

ASSAULT TRAINING

11/21/2014 02:18 PM CST

U.S. Army paratroopers and soldiers from Estonia, Czech Republic and Germany conduct an assault in an urban environment during training on the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Nov. 19, 2014. The soldiers are assigned to 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade.

DOD CONTRACTS

 

NAVY

 

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $4,123,746,486 modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive firm-target contract (N00019-13-C-0008) for the production of 43 Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot VIII F-35 Lightning II aircraft. This includes manufacture and delivery of 29 F-35A aircraft for the U. S. Air Force (19), government of Italy (two), government of Norway (two), government of Japan (four) and government of Israel (two). In addition, this modification provides for 10 F-35B aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps (six) and government of the United Kingdom (four); and four F-35C aircraft for the U.S. Navy (three) and U.S. Marine Corps (one). This modification also provides for LRIP Lot VIII production requirements, including diminishing manufacturing sources redesign and management, ancillary mission equipment, including pilot flight equipment, and concurrency changes to LRIP Lot VIII aircraft. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (55 percent); El Segundo, California (15 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (10 percent); Orlando, Florida (5 percent); Nashua, New Hampshire (5 percent); Baltimore, Maryland (5 percent); and Cameri, Italy (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2017. Fiscal 2014 aircraft procurement funds (Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy), international partner funds, and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $4,120,352,986, will be obligated at the time of this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force ($1,701,415,744; 41 percent); Marine Corps ($583,570,317; 14 percent); Navy ($491,755,261; 12 percent); international partners ($786,460,233; 19 percent); and foreign military sales ($557,151,431; 14 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting authority.
 

BAE Systems Information and Electronics Systems Integration, Inc., Nashua, New Hampshire, is being awarded a $19,862,638 firm-fixed-price contract to procure 283 AN/ALE-55 fiber optic towed decoys for the Integrated Defense Electronic Countermeasures Radio Frequency Countermeasure program. Work will be performed in Nashua, New Hampshire, and is expected to be completed in November 2016. Fiscal 2015 procurement of ammunition (Navy and Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $19,862,638 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland is the contracting activity (N00019-15-C-0018).
 

Boston Ship Repair, LLC, Boston, Massachusetts, is being awarded an $8,625,966 firm fixed-price contract for a 57-calendar day regular overhaul and dry-docking of Military Sealift Command's Fleet Replenishment Oiler Ship USNS Big Horn (T-AO 198). Work will include clean and gas free tanks, voids, cofferdams and spaces, deck non-skid renewal, ballast tank preservation, cylinder head and liner overhaul, main engine turbo overhaul, cargo console mechanical support, auxiliary boiler maintenance and inspection, annual lifeboat certification, house ventilation system cleaning, docking and undocking, propeller system maintenance and hub replacement, overhauling sea valves, and underwater hull cleaning and painting. Big Horn's primary mission is to provide fuel to U.S. Navy ships at sea and jet fuel to aircraft assigned to aircraft carriers. The contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $10,610,786. Work will be performed in Boston, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 23, 2015. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $8,625,966 are obligated and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three proposals received. The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N32205-15-C-1010).
 

Islands Mechanical Contractor, Inc.,* Middleburg, Florida, is being awarded $7,727,970 for firm-fixed-price task order 0015 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N69450-12-D-1274) for refurbishment of the Taurman Avenue Electrical Substation at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. The work to be performed provides for the design and construction of new outdoor substation infrastructure to recapitalize the existing outdoor substation which has deteriorated and needs to be replaced. The project includes construction of site improvements, new metal support structure with concrete foundations and concrete equipment pads, security fencing surrounding gravel interior space, grounding system, medium voltage busing systems, vacuum circuit breakers, liquid filled transformers, enclosed metal-clad switchgear, manual isolation and bypass switches, lightning and surge protection, and modular enclosure to house solid-state, programmable monitoring, relaying and controlling system equipment. Work will be performed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and is expected to be completed by August 2016. Fiscal 2015 Navy working capital funds in the amount of $7,727,970 are being obligated on this award and will not 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.
 

Lockheed Martin Corp., Baltimore, Maryland, is being awarded a $7,032,577 performance based logistics, firm-fixed-price contract, with delivery order 0001 being awarded concurrently, for the manufacture of 137 spares and 289 repair parts used in the MK-41 Vertical Launching System. Work will be performed in Ventura, California (85 percent), and Baltimore, Maryland (15 percent), and work is expected to be completed by November 2015. Fiscal 2015 Navy working capital funds in the amount of $6,848,930 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c) (1), with one offer received in response to this solicitation. NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00104-15-D-ZD21).
 

AIR FORCE

 

Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services, Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded a $52,923,105 modification (P00320) to exercise an option on previously awarded contract F19628-00-C-0019. Contractor will support critical mission operations for North American Aerospace Defense Command Cheyenne Mountain Complex/Integrated Tactical Warning/Attack Assessment in support of air, missile and space defense for the national command authority. Work will be performed at Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2015. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $20,541,249 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity.
 

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, California, has been awarded a $40,729,757 cost-plus-award-fee modification (P00067) to previously awarded contract FA8808-10-C-0002 for additional logistics and sustainment support of the Defense Satellite Communications System and Milstar Military Satellite Communications Systems. Work will be performed at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado; Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado; Vandenberg Air Force Base, California; Wheeler Air Force Base, Hawaii; Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska; and MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2015. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $7,457,651 are being obligated at the time of award. Space and Missile Systems Center, MILSATCOM Contracting Division, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity.


Raytheon Co., Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $32,221,204 modification (P00010) to previously awarded contract FA8681-13-C-0196 for Enhanced Paveway II guided bomb unit kits and a 10-year warranty for each kit. Contractor will provide 500 Enhanced Paveway II guided bomb units 49 and 50 kits (each kit includes an enhanced computer control group and an air foil group) and a 10-year warranty for each kit to be supplied to the Royal Saudi Air Force. Work will be performed at Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by July 1, 2016. This contract involves foreign military sales. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8681-13-C-0196).
 

Sierra Nevada Corp., Sparks, Nevada, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $15,800,000 undefinitized contract modification (P0007) to exercise an option to previously awarded undefinitized contract FA8620-14-C-3027. Contractor will provide Afghan National Army Special Operations Forces contractor logistics support for fixed-wing aircraft (PC-12) sustainment necessary to perform the maintenance operations and keep the aircraft operational. Work will be performed at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, and Kandahar, Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed by March 16, 2015. This contract involves foreign military sales. The 645th Aeronautical Systems Group, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-14-C-3027).
 

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

 

BP Products North America Inc., Naperville, Illinois, has been awarded a maximum $44,183,579 modification (DO 0001-0006) under contract SP0600-14-G-0616 for aviation turbine fuel. This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract. Locations of performance are Illinois and New York, with an April 30, 2017, performance completion date. Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
 

Coachys and Associates, LLC,** Canton, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $10,281,250 firm-fixed-price contract for extreme cold/wet weather parkas. This contract was a competitive acquisition, and four offers were received. This is a one-year base contract. Locations of performance are Georgia and Tennessee, with a Nov. 20, 2015, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-15-D-1010).
 

Tennier Industries, Inc.,* Boca Raton, Florida, has been awarded a maximum $9,270,625 firm-fixed-price contract for extreme cold/wet weather parkas. This contract was a competitive acquisition and 13 offers were received. This is a one-year base contract. Locations of performance are Florida and Tennessee, with a Nov. 20, 2015, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-15-D-1011).
 

UPDATE: American Material Handling, Inc.,*** Watkinsville, Georgia (SPE8EC-15-D-0002), has been added as an awardee to the multiple award contract issued against solicitation #SPM8EC-11-R-0004.
 

ARMY

 

Conti Federal Services, Inc., Edison, New Jersey, was awarded a $25,871,678 firm-fixed-price, foreign military sales (Israel), design-bid-build construction contract, with options, for multiple buildings in Israel, including an underground structure on a military installation. Estimated completion date of the project is April 25, 2016. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with four offers received. Fiscal 2015 other procurement funds in the amount of $25,871,678 are being obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District, is the contracting activity (W912GB-15-C-0002).
 

Aegis Defense Services, LLC, McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $12,756,407 firm-fixed-price contract for private security services at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 19, 2015. Sixteen bids were solicited, with four received. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $12,756,407 are being obligated at the time of the award. CENTCOM Joint Theater Support Contracting Command - Kandahar is the contracting activity (W91B4L-15-C-0001).
 

L-3 Combat Propulsion Systems, Muskegon, Michigan, was awarded a $10,492,234 modification (P00006) to firm-fixed-price contract W56HZV-14-C-0048 for increasing the undefinitized contract action amount for the transmission operational reliability 800 horsepower transmissions and the required ancillary hardware. Fiscal 2014 and 2015 other procurement funds in the amount of $5,141,194 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is March 31, 2016. Work will be performed in Muskegon, Michigan. Army Contracting Command, Tank and Automotive (Warren), Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity.
 

AECOM Technical Services, Inc., Los Angeles, California (W9128A-15-D-0001), and Jacobs Development Services, Co., Pasadena, California (W9128A-15-D-0002), were awarded a $9,900,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery contract with options for design and engineering services for miscellaneous projects in the Pacific region. Funding and work location will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 19, 2019. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with 12 received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Shafter, Hawaii, is the contracting activity.
 

DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY

 

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Redondo Beach, California, has been awarded a $20,163,543 modification (P00007) to a previously awarded contract (HR0011-14-C-0017), exercising the first option to the 12-month base contract for Phase 2 of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency research program. This is a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $34,785,925 from $14,622,382. Work will be performed in Redondo Beach, California, with an expected completion date of March 21, 2016. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $9,579,398 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
 

DEFENSE CONTRACT MANGEMENT AGENCY

 

NES Associates, LLC, Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $6,610,946 modification (01) to contract (S5121A-14-A-0003-0001) to exercise a one-year option period for software development and integration for the Defense Contract Management Agency.The award includes firm-fixed-price, labor hour, and cost reimbursable tasks. Work will be performed in Alexandria, Virginia with an estimated completion date ofNov. 30, 2015. Fiscal 2014 procurement funds, and fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance and research, development, test and evaluation funds are being obligated at award. The Defense Contract Management Agency, Fort Lee, Virginia is the contracting activity.
 

*Small business
**Service-Disabled Veteran-owned small business
***Woman-owned small business
 

Severely Wounded Veteran MSG John Masson Receives “Smart Home” In Southern Pines, North Carolina

 

The home was made possible by Building for America’s Bravest - a partner program of the Gary Sinise Foundation’s R.I.S.E. program and Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation

 

SOUTHERN PINES, NC – November 21, 2014 – Yesterday, severely wounded MSG John Masson, along with his wife Dustina and their three children, were handed the keys and iPad to their new specially adaptedSmart Home at a dedication ceremony held in Southern Pines, NC.  The Smart Home is designed and built with Masson’s needs in mind and comescustomized with a variety of features that ease daily challenges and helps restore independence, including retractable cabinets and shelving, automated lighting and security systems, transfer benches and more.  The home was made possible by Building for America’s Bravest, a partner program of the Gary Sinise Foundation’s R.I.S.E. program and Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation along with financial support from Wounded Warriors Family Support, an organization Founded by Col. John Folsom that provides valuable assistance to families of those who have been injured, wounded or killed during combat operations.

“John Masson is a great soldier and a great American who simply wanted to serve his country and has sacrificed greatly in his service,” said Sinise, Founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation. “It has been my honor to get to know him and his family over the years and to build this special home through the Gary Sinise Foundation, along with the support of our many great sponsors and donors.  We supported this effort with a tribute concert in 2013 in Fayetteville and I thank everyone who stepped up to support them.  Most of all I thank John Masson for inspiring us all to try to do a little bit more and to never forget the cost of freedom.”

"The Siller family and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation rejoice that John Masson and his wonderful family will be able to celebrate Thanksgiving in their beautiful new home--one that was specially designed to meet their needs,” said Frank Siller, Chairman and CEO of Stephen Siller Tunnel To Towers Foundation. “ We will forever be indebted to John for his heroic service, and are delighted that this home will assist him in being able to lead an independent life."

“We at Wounded Warriors Family Support know the importance of helping those who serve our country,” said Col. Folsom. “It’s an honor to be able to do our part in contributing to the construction of John and his family’s new home.”

Masson has served in the US Army in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, in the Indiana Army National Guard, the Ohio Army National Guard and the 20^th Special Forces Group (Airborne), and was deployed during  Operation Iraqi Freedom an Enduring Freedom. In 2010, while conducting Village Stability Operations in Afghanistan, Masson stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) and lost an arm and both legs.  Thanks to his training, he was able to assist his fellow Medical Sergeant in treating his wounds – actions which saved his life.  He’s received both the Purple Heart medal for his injuries and a second Bronze Star medal for his actions in combat.

"My family and I are eternally grateful to everyone who played a part in the building of our new Smart Home," said Masson. "There are no words that can truly express what this means to us.  We’ll forever be indebted to those who came together in support of me and my family.”

In addition to the assistance from Wounded Warriors Family Support, The Carrington Companies provided project management services for Masson’s home as well as all the homes that fall under the Gary Sinise Foundation’s R.I.S.E. program.  Other donors who contributed to Masson’s home include Shubert Design Furniture, Carrington Charitable Foundation, Stars & Stripes Tournament, Golden State Foods Foundation, CORE Brands, Qmotion, Carpet One, Mohawk Flooring, General Electric, DeHaven’s Transfer & Storage, Inc., America’s Fund, IT and Media Solutions, Goneau Dishner, and North American Moving Services.

About The Gary Sinise Foundation

Launched in 2011, the Foundation honors its defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen and build communities.  For more information, please visit www.garysinisefoundation.org.

The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation (T2T)

Best known for its annual Tunnel to Towers Run at Ground Zero in New York City, is committed to building specially-adapted “Smart Homes” for the most seriously wounded U.S. service personnel through its Building for America’s Bravest program. For more information, go towww.Tunnel2Towers.org.

MEMORIAL LIST

11/21/2014 08:45 AM CST

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jennifer Usenick reads the list of fallen military members at the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Nov. 7, 2014. The memorial marks the resting place of more than 1,000 sailors and Marines who were killed aboard the battleship USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Expedition 42 Soyuz Rocket Rolls Out

The Soyuz TMA-15M spacecraft is rolled out to the launch pad by train on Friday, Nov. 21, 2014 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.  Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for Nov. 24 and will carry Expedition 42 Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA , and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

How to Live Like Your Ego Is Not Your Amigo Certified Life Coach Explains How to Circumnavigate Your Own Worst Enemy

Human beings are capable of a rich inner life that, sadly, seems to elude so many, says dating and life coach Deborah Downey. 

“I doubt that most of us fully realize just how much worry, doubt and fear we experience on a daily basis; it seems to me that acknowledging this default setting and finding an alternative for well-being should be among our top priorities,” says Downey, author of “What Are You Worried About!” (http://www.coachdeborahdowney.com/).

“Too often, we are inclined toward trying to be something that, upon closer inspection, isn’t what we actually want. Much of this can be attributed to our egos, which persistently tug at our motivations.”

Women who think they have to be married and men who are afraid of revealing their true feelings are just two examples of ego-driven ideas that lead us away from personal fulfillment, she says.

Downey, who found romance and happiness later in life despite living with multiple sclerosis for 25 years, says we can have a more worry-free existence. She explains a few ideas for overriding your ego’s default settings.

•  “I strive for imperfection and I’m always a winner.” 
“Most people laugh when I say this,” she says, because society is forever challenging us to compete and compare ourselves with others to assess our own value. Striving for imperfection is a reminder that we don’t have to drive ourselves crazy with unattainable goals.

“I notice most of us have hidden rules that we carry from childhood that really don’t help us as adults,” she says. “There isn’t any way to be perfect for myself or for any other person who has ever lived. To strive for something unattainable is to strive for failure. Ultimately, allowing for you to be who you are is, I find, liberating and more conducive to overall success in life.”

•  A lesson from Spanx founder and self-made billionaire Sara Blakely …Once upon a time Blakely was just another struggling entrepreneur. In addition to her blockbuster underwear product and her drive, she was armed with a profound idea inherited from her father, an advocate of acclaimed life coach Wayne Dyer. The idea: Don’t be afraid to fail big, because it means you put the effort forth on something that you care about, even though the effort was outside of your comfort zone.

“Appreciating one’s daily and weekly failures is not a means of encouraging it; rather, it’s a way of learning from failure and developing thicker skin so that you aren’t paralyzed into future inactivity due to fear of failure or the unknown,” she says.

•  “We no longer pursue the tormentor.”
 “When my mentor coach first said this to me over the phone, I asked her to repeat it three times,” Downey says.

Tormentors are all-knowing, all-controlling, arrogant to the tenth degree, super-demanding and impossible to please. Because her parents always demanded the best and never praised Downey as a child, she sought love from sociopaths and narcissists as an adult.

“The clarity of how I brought so much pain into my life by pursuing tormentors was mind-blowing,” she says. “Of course, one’s own ego can play the very same role.”

About Deborah Downey

Deborah Downey’s experience spans 25 years of recovery in various 12-step programs around the country. Holding certifications as a professional life coach and as a chemical dependency counselor, Downey has dealt with addiction in its various forms, both as the child of alcoholic parents and as a confidant for others. In her self-help book, “What Are You Worried About!” (http://www.coachdeborahdowney.com/), Downey, who has multiple sclerosis, details a proactive approach to training one’s mind to think positive.

TAYLOR SWIFT TO RECEIVE FIRST EVER DICK CLARK AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

Los Angeles, CA (November 21, 2014) - dick clark productions and ABC announced today that Taylor Swift will be presented with the inaugural “Dick Clark Award for Excellence” at the 2014 American Music Awards.  Swift will be recognized for her historical album sales as the only artist in history to have three albums – “Speak Now, “Red” and “1989” -- each debuting with more than 1 million sold in their first week. This year, in its first week, “1989” sold 1.287 million copies, making it the highest selling album released in 2014. Swift is the first recipient of the Dick Clark Award for Excellence, given to an artist who achieves a groundbreaking feat or creates a landmark work.  It is to be bestowed upon someone whose spirit and excellence capture the visionary passion that Dick Clark himself incorporated into everything he did.
 
Clark, the creator of the 42-year-old American Music Awards, influenced popular music in America for six decades. He was known for maintaining a standard of excellence both in the shows he produced and in the talent that he showcased. Simultaneously “America’s Oldest Teenager” and the most trusted name in music, Clark was responsible for the first TV appearances of many superstars including Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince. Taylor Swift, who also made her debut on a Dick Clark Production show, will be honored with this prestigious award with Clark’s wife, Kari, in the audience, along with a theatre full of stars who grew up on Clark’s programs. This promises to be one of the most significant moments in the rich history of the AMA’s.
 
“The first time Dick saw Taylor perform, he knew she was something special,” said Kari Clark, wife of the late Dick Clark.  “He would be thrilled to know she is the first artist to receive the Dick Clark Award for Excellence.”
 
“The American Music Awards most closely reflects Dick Clark’s philosophy of popular music. It provides a platform for the biggest music artists of the day, with the winners voted on by the fans,” said American Music Awards producer Larry Klein.  “Clark always said, ‘Music is the soundtrack of our lives,’ and no one’s recent music has provided a more meaningful soundtrack for the lives of music fans than Taylor Swift.”
 
Swift will also take to the stage to open the show with the world television premiere performance of her new single “Blank Space”.  She joins a line-up of must-see artists including 5 Seconds of Summer, Mary J. Blige, Garth Brooks, Charli XCX, Fergie, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Imagine Dragons, Jessie J, Lil Wayne, Lorde, Magic!, Nicki Minaj, One Direction, Sam Smith, and the evening's host, Pitbull.  Additional stars slated to present throughout the evening include Uzo Aduba, Jhene Aiko, Elizabeth Banks, Aloe Blacc, Lauren Cohan, Gavin DeGraw, Ansel Elgort, Jamie Foxx, Becky G, Brantley Gilbert, Danai Gurira, Lucy Hale, Ella Henderson, Julianne Hough, Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Kira Kazantsev, Heidi Klum, Mary Lambert, Rose McGowan, Danica McKellar, Pat Monahan, Olivia Munn, Kevin O'Leary, Pentatonix, Tracee Ellis Ross, Taylor Schilling and Meghan Trainor. The 2014 American Music Awards will broadcast live from the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23rd (8:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT) on ABC.  Additional performers and presenters will be announced soon.
  
Taylor Swift is the only artist in history to have three million-selling weeks (2010's Speak Now, 2012's RED and 2014's 1989) and the only artist to have two singles hit No. 1 on Billboards HOT 100 Chart this year. Taylor is a global superstar and seven-time GRAMMY winner, and the youngest winner in history of the music industry's highest honor, the GRAMMY Award for Album of the Year. She is the first artist since the Beatles (and the only female artist in history) to log six or more weeks at #1 in the U.S. with three consecutive studio albums. Taylor has an album on Rolling Stone's prestigious The 50 Greatest Albums of All Time (by women) list, Time magazine has named her one the of the 100 Most Influential People in the world, and she is Billboard's youngest-ever Woman of the Year and the only artist to have been awarded this honor twice. Taylor has career record sales in excess of 30 million albums and more than 80 million song downloads worldwide, and has had singles top both the pop and country radio charts around the globe. Taylor's album RED, released two years ago, sold more than 1.2 million copies in the U.S. in its first week. The only other album to sell more than RED was her critically acclaimed fifth studio album, 1989, the highest selling release since 2002 and the only album to go platinum in 2014. 1989 sold almost 1.3 million albums release week topping Billboard's Top 200 charts and iTunes’ sales charts in 95 countries on its release. 1989has sold almost three million copies globally and tops Billboard Top 200 for a third week.  "Shake It Off,” the first single from 1989, topped Billboard’s Pop, HotAC and Hot 100 charts and has earned double Platinum-status by the RIAA for exceeding sales of two million downloads in the U.S.  Her current single “Blank Space,” immediately skyrocketed to the top of the Hot 100 and iTunes chart on its debut. 
 
NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23rd (8:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT) on ABC.  Additional performers and presenters will be announced soon.
 
The 2014 American Music Award nominations were announced last month, revealing six nominations for Iggy Azalea--the most of any artist.  Other top contenders include John Legend, Katy Perry and Pharrell Williams, who each earned five nominations, and Lorde who earned four. 
 
As always at the American Music Awards, artists will be honored in the genres of Pop/Rock, Country, Rap/Hip-Hop, Soul/R&B, Alternative Rock, Adult Contemporary, Latin, Contemporary Inspirational, Electronic Dance Music, as well as categories for Top Soundtrack, New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl’s, Artist of the Year and Single of the Year. For a full list of nominees visit AMAvote.com.
 
American Music Awards nominees are based on key fan interactions as reflected in Billboard Magazine and on Billboard.com, including album and digital singles sales, radio airplay, streaming and social activity. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Entertainment and Next Big Sound.
 
The American Music Awards is voted on by the fans. Winners will be determined through online and Twitter voting.  Voting began on October 13 for all categories except New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl’s. Fans can vote once per day at the Coca-Cola AMA voting site, AMAvote.com, as well as once per day via Twitter by including the nominee’s name, category name and #AMAs within a tweet.  
 
Voting for New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl's opened on November 1 and will remain open throughout the first hour of the ABC live broadcast on November 23, with the winner being announced in the final hour. Fans can vote via AMAVote.com and Twitter.
 
Preceding the ABC broadcast for the 6^th consecutive year will be the “Coca-Cola Red Carpet LIVE! @ The 2014 AMAs” pre-show. The show will be hosted by Lance Bass, Chelsea Briggs, Kandi Burruss, Gavin DeGraw, Franke Grande, Taryn Manning, Jordin Sparks, Morgan Stewart and Ted Stryker, and will feature performances by this year’s hottest emerging artists including Becky G, Ella Henderson, Katy Tiz, Mary Lambert and R5. Live coverage will stream online for fans worldwide starting at 5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT on November 23.  The live stream can be watched at ABC.com, TheAMAs.comand yahoo.com.
 
Once the show starts, the full digital experience kicks into high gear on ABC.com and the WATCH ABC app for smartphones and tablets.  Sponsored by Kohl’s®, the “AMAs Backstage Live” on WATCH ABC is designed to be the ultimate complement to the live telecast.  Beginning at 8:00 PM ET, WATCH ABC viewers nationwide can choose between four different live feeds that deliver insider viewpoints into all the action happening on the show and backstage: Kohl’s Director’s Cut, Backstage and the Press Room. Verified pay TV viewers in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, Fresno, Raleigh-Durham and Philadelphia can also access a live stream of the full awards show as part of WATCH ABC’s regular service. Once aired, the full show will be available on demand via WATCH ABC for 14 days.
 
The 2014 American Music Awards partners include Cumulus, Music Choice, Shazam, Time Warner Cable and Yahoo.
 
The 2014 American Music Awards is produced by dick clark productions. Allen Shapiro and Mike Mahan are Executive Producers. Barry Adelman and Mark Bracco are Co-Executive Producers and Larry Klein is producer.
 
For the latest American Music Awards news, exclusive content and more, be sure to follow the AMAs on social and join the conversation by using the official hashtag for the show, #AMAs.

WRITING SURFACE

11/21/2014 09:22 AM CST

Soldiers provide each other with a writing surface during the U.S. Army Alaska Small Arms Competition on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, Nov. 19, 2014. The soldiers are assigned to the 59th Signal Battalion.

SNOW CHALLENGE

11/21/2014 09:25 AM CST

New York Army Guardsmen use engineering equipment to help remove snow in Buffalo, N.Y., Nov. 20, 2014. New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo called up about 375 Guardsmen to support response and recovery efforts following historic amounts of snowfall in the area.

President Provides Immediate Relief, Creates Architecture for Reform

November 20, 2014

Washington D.C. - After decades of congressional neglect, tonight President Obama took a crucial and courageous step toward reforming our immigration system. He announced that he will provide immediate relief for many of those impacted by of our broken system, and he is offering Congress an architecture for the permanent reforms that our country desperately needs.

Under the new policies announced, the Obama Administration will build on the successful Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by providing temporary relief for the parents of U.S. Citizens and lawful permanent residents. The new program, to be called Deferred Action for Parents (DAP), will ensure that millions of U.S. Citizen and lawful permanent resident children will remain unified with their parents. The President also announced new enforcement policies and steps to improve the adjudication of business and family visas.  

Mindful that the full impact of the President’s announcement will reveal itself in the months ahead, the American Immigration Council will keep a close watch over how the agencies administer these new policies. We will work to ensure that they are implemented in a way that respects fundamental principles of fairness and due process. 

Since at least 1956, every U.S. President has granted temporary immigration relief to one or more groups in need of assistance. Like his predecessors, President Obama did not provide a permanent legal status to anyone – only Congress can do that.

The American Immigration Council applauds this long-fought reform for immigrant families, but we keep in mind the millions left untouched by the announcement today. Rather than look for ways to block reform, Congress should do its job to fix our broken immigration system and provide undocumented immigrants in this nation a full and meaningful shot at citizenship.

Please visit www.AmericanImmigrationCouncil.org in the coming days for additional details on the announcement.

DEMPSEY KEYNOTE

11/20/2014 05:39 PM CST

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks at a conference on the civil-military divide and the future of the all-volunteer force hosted by Center for a New American Security in Washington D.C., Nov. 20, 2014.

Pentagon Spokesman Reports Success in Khorasan Airstrike

By Amaani Lyle
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2014 - U.S. Central Command reported airstrikes Nov. 19 against Islamic state militant groups and the al-Qaida-affiliated Khorasan group in Syria, a move the Pentagon press secretary called a success here today.

Rear Adm. John Kirby addressed the Pentagon press corps after the Centcom release reported five air strikes executed near Kobani since November 17, including a Khorasan storage facility in northwest Syria.

Pentagon Views Khorasan as "Real Threat'

"We still assess the Khorasan group to be a very real threat to Western interest and to American interest - that is why we continue to go after them where and when we can," Kirby said. "The strike taken the other night against the weapons facility was a success."

Kirby maintained that pressure from the U.S. military will persist against the terrorist group.

"We used a B-1 bomber and dropped several precision-guided munitions on this facility, and we know that the facility was destroyed," Kirby said.

The admiral explained the decision to target that particular facility, known to have been restocked after the Khorasan group suffered losses elsewhere.

"They were moving equipment and materiel around because it had been at risk in other places," Kirby said. "But that doesn't mean we're ready to call it 'mission accomplished' here by any stretch at all we continue to believe this group is a threat."

Kurdish Resupply Continues

Meanwhile in Iraq, Kirby said, arms and ammunition resupply to Kurdish forces continues in the ongoing fight against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. "There have been consistent efforts to continue to resupply Kurdish forces, peshmerga forces as necessary largely done by the Iraqi government."

Other nations, the admiral added, have also continued to provide the Kurds with arms and ammunition.

"[The Kurds have] been fighting very hard and very effectively," Kirby said. "The more you expend, the more you're going to need."

DOD CONTRACTS

AIR FORCE

 

Alpha-Omega Change Engineering, Hampton, Virginia (FA4600-15-D-9000); Client/Server Software Solutions, Inc., Bellevue, Nebraska (FA4600-15-D-9001); ISYS Technologies, Littleton, Colorado (FA4600-15-D-9002); Joint Strategic Solutions, Omaha, Nebraska (FA4600-15-D-9003); McCallie Associates, Inc., Bellevue, Nebraska (FA4600-15-D-9004); Peerless Technologies Corp., Fairborn, Ohio (FA4600-15-D-9005); S4 Inc., Burlington, Massachusetts (FA4600-15-D-9006); Software Engineering Services, Bellevue, Nebraska (FA4600-15-D-9007); and The Garrett Group, Inc., Bellevue, Nebraska (FA4600-15-D-9008), have been awarded a combined $800,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) systems and mission support III. Contractor will provide advisory and assistance services (A&AS) as well as non-A&AS support for all missions areas of USSTRATCOM. Work will be performed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and is expected to be completed byNov. 30, 2019. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with 11 offers received. Funds will be obligated with each delivery order under this overall contract. The 55th Contracting Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, is the contracting activity.
 

The Boeing Corp., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $64,391,684 cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed price contract for research and development leading to the procurement of 60 long delay fuzes and development of an embedded fuze system. Work will be performed at St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2017. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation, and ammunition procurement funds, in the amount of $28,443,116 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8681-15-C-0050).

Kaman Precision Products, Inc., Orlando, Florida, has been awarded a $28,892,973 firm-fixed-price modification (P00023) to exercise the option for Lot 11 production of joint programmable fuze systems. Contractor will provide an additional quantity of 7,846 state-of-the-art fuze systems being produced under the basic contract. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2016. Fiscal 2014 and 2015 ammunition procurement funds in the amount of $28,892,973 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8681-13-C-0029).

NAVY

 

Crowley Technical Management Inc., Jacksonville, Florida, is being awarded a $31,875,833 firm-fixed-price contract for the operation and maintenance of the T-AGOS/T-AGM fleet. This fleet supports the Navy's surveillance towed array sensor system, the U.S. Air Force's dual-band, phased array and parabolic dish radars, and other government research missions. This contract includes four 12-month option periods which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $170,463,169. Work will be performed at sea worldwide and is expected to be completed November 2015. If all options are exercised, work will continue through November 2019. Working capital contract funds in the amount of $31,875,833 are being obligated for fiscal 2015 and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with over 200 proposals solicited via a solicitation posted to the Military Sealift Command and Federal Business Opportunities websites, with six offers received. The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N62387-15-C-2505).
 

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Patterson Dental, St. Paul, Minnesota, has been awarded a maximum $15,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for distribution of general dental supplies. This contract was a competitive acquisition and six offers were received. This is a 15-month base contract, with three one-year options and one nine-month option periods. Location of performance is Minnesota, with a March 13, 2016, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DE-15-D-0003).
 

ARMY

Harding Enterprises, LLC,* Prentiss, Mississippi, was awarded a $6,759,316 firm-fixed-price contract for flood control on the Mississippi River and tributaries, to include levee enlargement and berms on Upper Lake Concordia. The work consists of furnishing all plant, labor, materials and equipment. Work will be performed in Ferriday, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 1, 2016. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with 13 offers received. Fiscal 2012 and 2014 other procurement funds in the amount of $6,759,316 are being obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District, Vicksburg, Mississippi, is the contracting activity (W912EE-15-C-0001).
 

*Small business