DOD CONTRACTS

 

AIR FORCE

 

Alion Science and Technology Corp., McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a $48,459,676 delivery order (0065) to previously awarded contract FA4600-06-D-0003. Contractor will provide integrated tactical systems to identify and avoid using problematic materials, processes and assessment methods that can lead to unplanned and unbudgeted maintenance costs, shorter life-cycles, and reduced readiness. Work will be performed at several Navy bases and Rome, New York, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 29, 2016. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,732,400 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Installation Contracting Agency, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, is the contracting activity.

 

Alion Science and Technology Corp., McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a $47,316,614 delivery order (0076) to previously awarded contract FA4600-06-D-0003. Contractor will support the Army Tank and Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center by development of solutions for technical and engineering problems. This includes solutions for problems in the science of materials and processes, in engineering, and in testing and evaluation. Work will be performed at Detroit, Michigan, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 29, 2016.. Fiscal 2014 Army research, development, test and evaluation funds, and operations and maintenance funds, in the amount of $1,496,586 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Installation Contracting Agency, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, is the contracting activity.

 

Trident Systems Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, has been awarded a $24,900,000 small business innovation research (SBIR) Phase III cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Collaboration Gateway. Contractor will provide a focused but flexible contracting vehicle between the U.S. government, the military services and the intelligence community, and Trident Systems Inc. Under Public Law 106-554 SBIR Phase III authorization to enable the U.S. government to receive the benefits of the investments made with the contractor under the auspices of the SBIR program. These benefits will be accrued by continuing research and development in related areas not previously addressed, but required for successful product transition; transitioning and productizing technology to meet specific U.S. government customer requirements; testing, evaluating and supporting products in the customer's operational environment, and providing a mechanism for customer acquisition of the limited product quantities required for operational introduction of products. Work will be performed at Fairfax, Virginia, or Raleigh, North Carolina, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 4, 2020. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $60,000 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity (FA8750-14-D-0037).

 

Integrated Solutions for Systems, Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, has been awarded a $10,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for enhanced lethality ordnance and modeling. Contractor will provide research and development in three research weapons core competencies: weapon effectiveness, damage mechanisms and energetic materials. Work will be performed at Huntsville, Alabama, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 3, 2019. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with 48 offers received. Fiscal 2013 and 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the combined amount of $348,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8651-14-D-0094).

 

NAVY

 

Short Bark Industries, Inc.,* Vonore, Tennessee, is being awarded an estimated maximum $36,750,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for production of the Enhanced Flame Resistant Combat Ensemble (EFRCE) uniforms. Maximum order ceiling is not to exceed 375,000 individual EFRCE articles over the life of the contract. Contract consists of a base year and three ordering periods. The EFRCE contract will begin in September 2014, and remain active for potential future EFRCE orders until completion in September 2018, or until the 375,000 EFRCE article order ceiling is reached. Work will be performed in Guanica, Puerto Rico. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on delivery orders as they are issued. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps and Navy) contract funds in the amount of $12,825,698 for the first delivery order will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with seven proposals received. Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-14-D-1010).

 

Huntington Ingalls Inc., Coronado, California, is being awarded a $24,230,190 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00024-13-C-4315) for USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) fiscal 2014 planned incremental availability. A planned incremental availability includes the planning and execution of depot-level maintenance, alterations, and modifications that will update and improve the ship's military and technical capabilities. Work will be performed in Coronado, California, and is expected to be completed by April 2015. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $10,470,296 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.

 

ARMY

 

U.S. Ordnance, Inc.,* McCarran, Nevada was awarded an $11,236,402 firm-fixed-price contract for M2 machine gun barrel assemblies. Work and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 30, 2017. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with five received. U.S. Army Contracting Command - Tank and Automotive, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-14-D-0031).

 

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DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today praised the actions of the Ukrainian armed forces in their current engagements in eastern Ukraine and pledged continued U.S. support for their efforts, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said.
Hagel made the comments during a meeting with Col. Gen. Valeriy Heletey, Ukraine's defense minister, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Wales, Kirby said in a statement summarizing the meeting.
Heletey thanked Secretary Hagel for that support, which includes millions of dollars of nonlethal material and assistance, the press secretary said.
"Secretary Hagel underscored calls by the United States, NATO and the European Union for Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine, halt support for Russian separatists and honor its international obligations," Kirby added. "Minister Heletey also reiterated Ukraine's commitment to democratic ideals and its commitment to working with its European partners."


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EM’s First Business Opportunity Forum Draws over 70 People

EM Acquisition and Project Management Deputy Assistant Secretary Jack Surash discusses EM's acquisition program during Thursday's forum.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than 70 people today gathered at a public forum to gain insight into EM's federal procurement process and upcoming business opportunities in the legacy nuclear cleanup program.

   EM Acquisition and Project Management Deputy Assistant Secretary Jack Surash led the interactive outreach event, guiding the audience through a "wealth of information" about EM's many contract opportunities publicly available on EM's website — including a "Doing Business with DOE/EM" section — and on FedBizOpps.gov.

   Surash stressed that the cleanup program works to be transparent, providing as much information about acquisitions as possible while choosing proposals that represent the best value to taxpayers.

   "I want to be as open and transparent as possible," Surash said, adding that people can schedule visits with him at his office to discuss questions about working with EM. "I do my best to ensure the playing field is level."

   Abe Zeitoun, a forum participant, said Thursday's event was a step in the right direction for EM's new forum series.

   "It was a very good start to give a good, transparent forum to contractors to tell them the future, the forecast, and what's expected in the future of contracting with EM," Zeitoun said. "It's a good way of communicating with contractors."  

   Throughout the forum, Surash answered dozens of questions from participants about upcoming procurements, EM's various contract vehicles, and other topics.

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Surash answers questions from participants during the forum.

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   Surash told the attendees EM has a significant amount of work for contractors, and that the cleanup program is seeking the best companies that provide the best value to taxpayers.

   "There is a lot of work to do here in the Office of Environmental Management," he said. "We want the firm that actually provides the best proposal." He later added: "Let the best proposal win, period."

   Displaying a timeline on a large screen, Surash explained several important steps EM has taken over the years to improve EM's contract and project management, such as when EM launched construction project reviews in 2009.

   "This is a journey, not a destination. There have been lots of improvements and there are more to come," he said.

   Surash also showed the participants EM's major procurements webpage, which has a "huge amount of information."

   He emphasized that small businesses are an important component of EM's accomplishments, as more than $400 million, or 7 percent, of its obligated funds went to small business prime contract awards in fiscal year 2014, which closes at the end of this month.

   The event was organized by EM's Office of Acquisition and Project Management.

   EM plans to host the forum approximately each quarter. Topics will focus on how DOE is improving its acquisition and contract management and the status of ongoing and upcoming procurement opportunities. 

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OBAMA GREETING

09/04/2014 04:39 PM CDT

U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with U.S. and Estonian soldiers during a troop visit event in Tallinn, Estonia, Sept. 3, 2014. During his address, Obama reminded the troops of their role as they trained together in the region, saying: "You are sending a powerful message that as NATO allies we stand together." The soldiers are paratroopers assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

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REFUELING POINT

09/04/2014 04:55 PM CDT

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Samantha Medellin ensures fuel is properly flowing to a CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter at a forward arming and refueling point on Camp Bastion in Afghanistan's Helmand province, Sept. 3, 2014. Medellin is a nozzle operator assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 274. The refueling point on Camp Bastion's airfield plays a key part in ensuring that Marine air support has fuel for Regional Command Southwest missions.

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FLIGHT OPERATIONS

09/04/2014 04:28 PM CDT

An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter conducts flight operations on the USS Iwo Jima in the Atlantic Ocean, Sept. 3, 2014. The Iwo Jima is underway conducting amphibious integration exercises

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NARAL Pro-Choice America and NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia: Barbara Comstock Defends Her Position that Roe v. Wade Should be Overturned

Claims Congress Doesn't Deal with Women's Health-Care Issues

At yesterday's debate between the two major candidates for Congress in Virginia's 10^thCongressional District, Delegate Barbara Comstock defended her out-of-touch views on women's health with a bizarre claim that Congress does not address women's health-care issues. As reported by the Washington Post, Comstock claimed her desire to see Roe. v. Wade overturned "would not come into play in Congress."

In reality, anti-choice lawmakers in Congress have made attacking women's health a top priority - from passing a dangerous abortion ban to working to strip insurance coverage for birth control within the Affordable Care Act. And as Delegate Barbara Comstock has worked tirelessly to restrict the health and rights of Virginia women: she voted for medically unnecessary restrictions on women's health-care facilities,supported forced ultrasounds, and even voted torestrict common forms of birth control.

"I'm not sure what's more troubling about Barbara Comstock's statements last night: the reaffirmation of her distrust of women to make our own decisions about what's best for us and our families or her professed ignorance about the role this Congress has played in trying to legislate the rights assured to women underRoe v. Wade out of existence," said Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. "7 in 10 Americans believe that abortion access should be legal and that politicians should not meddle in critical healthcare decisions of women. Virginia voters know that only John Faust can represent these views in Congress, and we'll be working to remind them every day between now andNovember 4th. 

"Barbara Comstock has made her priorities very clear: she has a long history of attacking women's access to reproductive health and rights in Virginia, and she would do exactly the same in Washington," said Tarina Keene, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia. "It's telling that while Comstock supports overturning Roe v. Wade and taking fundamental and constitutional rights away from women, her vote for a Virginia 2012 'personhood' bill shows she is clearly in favor of granting constitutional rights to zygotes. Her bizarre claim that Congress doesn't deal with women's health care is an obvious attempt to defend what is clearly an out-of-touch record on women's health and rights. Virginians aren't buying it."

NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC has endorsed John Foust to represent Virginia's 10^thCongressional District. NARAL Pro-Choice America has more than 15,000 member activists in Virginia.

BACKGROUND:

Comstock Said Her Desire to See Roe v. Wade Overturned Did Not Matter as a Member of Congress. ""I have worked on building these coalitions and, you see, my opponent wants to continue to divide and attack," Comstock said, adding that her desire to see Roe v. Wade overturned would not come into play in Congress. "I'm not running for the Supreme Court, I'm running to be your congressman."" [Washington Post, 9/03/14]

Comstock: "Yes, I think Roe v. Wade Should be Overturned." In October 2006 on MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews," Comstock said, "…yes, I think Roe v. Wade should be overturned and the states should decide it." [MSNBC, 10/16/08] 

Comstock Voted to Require Transvaginal Ultrasounds Prior to Abortions. In 2012, Comstock voted for a bill "that requires women to have a 'transvaginal ultrasound' before undergoing abortions." [HB 462, 2/14/12; Associated Press, 2/15/12]

Comstock Voted for Virginia TRAP Laws That Closed Women's Health Clinic. In 2011, Comstock voted for a bill that required abortion clinic to be regulated like outpatient surgical centers. As a result, the Board of Health adopted requirements that clinics "meet strict, hospital-style building codes that operators say could put many of them out of business." [SB 924, 2011 Session, 2/21/11; Washington Post, 4/12/13]

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Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's meeting with Ukraine Minister of Defense Colonel General Valeriy Heletey

Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby provided the following readout:

 

Secretary Hagel met today with Ukraine Minister of Defense Colonel General Valeriy Heletey to discuss the ongoing security situation in Ukraine.

 

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Wales.

 

Secretary Hagel praised the actions of the Ukrainian armed forces in their current engagements in Eastern Ukraine and pledged continued U.S. support for their efforts. Minister Heletey thanked Secretary Hagel for that support, which includes millions of dollars of non-lethal material and assistance.

 

Secretary Hagel underscored calls by the United States, NATO and the European Union for Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine, halt support for Russian separatists and honor its international obligations. Minister Heletey also reiterated Ukraine's commitment to democratic ideals and its commitment to working with its European partners.

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Suicide and Substance Abuse: A Two-Part Webinar Series

Part 1. Understanding the Connection Between Suicide and Substance Abuse: What the Research Tell Us

Thursday, September 11, 2014 | 2 p.m.–3:30 p.m. Eastern Time

It is clear that substance abuse and suicide are closely related issues—but how can practitioners work more effectively, across disciplines, to address them? This webinar will examine current research findings that explore the connections between substance abuse and suicide, highlighting factors that contribute to both issues and can be addressed in a coordinated way.

Part 2. Mobilizing Partnerships and Resources To Address Substance Abuse and Suicide

The date and time for this webinar are to be determined.

This webinar will explore the essential ingredients of effective collaboration between states and communities, and across disciplines, highlighting some of the innovative ways practitioners are working together to prevent substance abuse and suicide.

Register for Part 1 of the Webinar Series

Learn More About SAMHSA's Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies

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The Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Wilderness Act Turn 50

September 03, 2014 at 11:50 AM EDT

Fifty years ago today, President Lyndon Johnson signed two landmark bills, ushering in a new era of conservation.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act codifies the simple premise that when we take something from the earth, we have a responsibility to give something back. Using revenues from offshore oil and gas development, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has made critical investments in nearly every county in the United States. The LWCF has been used to increase access to the outdoors for hunting, fishing, and other recreation, to protect iconic places like National Parks and Civil War battlefields, and to advance over 40,000 local projects.

Thanks to the Wilderness Act, more than 109 million acres of wild land have received our country's strongest protections, ensuring that future generations can continue to enjoy these places as they are today, and as they were hundreds of years ago. Designated wildernesses promote clean air and water, provide habitat for iconic wildlife, and protect places of incomparable natural beauty for all Americans to experience and enjoy.

But more than that, these laws protect what the novelist Wallace Stegner called "the geography of hope," a vision of the American continent in all its vastness, its wildness, its natural power. "Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed," Stegner wrote in 1960. "We need wilderness preserved — as much of it as is still left, and as many kinds — because it was the challenge against which our character as a people was formed."

Protecting the outdoors is not just good for our air and water — it's good for our economy.  In 2012, over 900 million visits to national parks, national monuments, and other federally managed lands and waters helped support over $646 billion in spending on outdoor recreation.

But our work to conserve America's great outdoors is far from over. Right now, too many Americans lack easy or safe access to parks. Climate change is placing new stresses on lands, waters, and wildlife. Too many of our rivers, lakes, and ecosystems are choked with pollution.

That's why President Obama has called on Congress to fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund and to act on dozens of conservation proposals that have been introduced by Democrats and Republicans alike. In the meantime, the President will use his executive authority to protect our outdoors and our heritage by designating new national monuments — as he has 11 times so far. 

As we mark the anniversary of these important laws, let's celebrate what we have accomplished over the past 50 years and redouble our efforts to work together to preserve the wild places that define the American character and to leave behind a healthy, beautiful country for future generations.

Mike Boots is the Acting Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. John Podesta is Counselor to the President.

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DEMPSEY TOWN HALL

09/04/2014 03:31 PM CDT

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hosts a Facebook town hall meeting with service members from his office at the Pentagon, Sept. 4, 2014

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FDA Approves Game-Changing Melanoma Drug that Turns on Immune System to Fight Deadly Cancers

FDA has approved the immunotherapy drug Keytruda, representing a breakthrough in the way melanoma and cancer can be treated Drug frees up a patient's immune system to fight cancer tumors, without need for chemotherapy or radiation As part of the largest Phase 1 study in the history of oncology, 72 percent of melanoma patients taking the drug showed significant response Keytruda has potential to be used to treat other cancers the immune system can recognize, including lung, bladder, and head and neck

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a new immunotherapy drug to treat advanced melanoma, signaling a paradigm shift in the way the deadly skin cancer is treated.   The drug, Keytruda (pembrolizumab), was tested on more than 600 patients who had melanoma that had spread throughout their bodies. Because so many of the patients in the early testing showed significant long-lasting responses, the study was continued and the FDA granted the drug "breakthrough therapy" status, allowing it to be fast-tracked for approval.   The largest Phase 1 study in the history of oncology, the research was conducted at UCLA and 11 other sites in the U.S., Europe and Australia.   Keytruda, formerly known as MK-3475, is an antibody that targets a protein called PD-1 that is expressed by immune cells. The protein puts the immune system's brakes on, keeping its T cells from recognizing and attacking cancer cells, said Dr. Antoni Ribas, the study's principal investigator and a researcher at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.   For many years, when using immunotherapy to fight cancer, doctors' strategy has been to bolster the immune system so it could kill the cancer cells. But the approach had limited success because PD-1 prevented the immune system from becoming active enough to attack the cancer.   Keytruda, in effect, cuts the brake lines, freeing up the immune system to attack the cancer.   "This drug is a game changer, a very significant advance in the treatment of melanoma," said Ribas, who also is a professor of medicine in the division of hematology-oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "For patients who have not responded to prior therapies, this drug now provides a very real chance to shrink their tumors and the hope of a lasting response to treatment."                                                                                                  Judith Gasson, director of the Jonsson Cancer Center and senior associate dean for research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said researchers have long hoped to develop an effective and lasting immunotherapy to fight cancer.   "We have long believed that harnessing the power of our own immune systems would dramatically alter cancer treatment," she said. "Based upon work conducted over the past two decades, we are beginning to see the clinical benefits of this research in some of the most challenging cancers."   Generally, about 1 in 10 patients responded to previous immunotherapy drugs. Some of those who responded, however, exhibited long-lived benefits, which sustained scientists' interest in the method as an effective mechanism to fight cancer.   The response and duration rates for Keytruda were much greater than for previous drugs, Ribas said. In the new study, 72 percent of patients responded to the drug, meaning that their tumors shrank to some degree. Overall, 34 percent of patients showed an objective response, meaning that their tumors shrank by more than 30 percent, and did not re-grow.                                       Ribas said Keytruda has the potential to be used to treat other cancers that the immune system can recognize, including cancers of the lung, bladder, head and neck.   Survivors' Stories   Kathy Thomas, 59, of Torrance, California, was diagnosed in September 2011 with melanoma that had spread to her liver and was invading her left breast. She underwent several therapies that did not work, and she was weakening fast.   "I lost weight. I threw up nearly every day," Thomas said. "My hair was thinning. I just had no strength at all. I was so sick I had to use a wheelchair."   Thomas met with Ribas in 2012 but was skeptical about enrolling in a trial to test an experimental therapy. She soon overcame her hesitation.   "I decided I wanted to survive," she said. "I wasn't going to let this disease beat me."   Since enrolling in the study, Thomas' tumors have shrunk. She regained her strength and her appetite. She's out of her wheelchair and walking normally again. She said she has experienced no side effects from the therapy, and she travels monthly to San Francisco to visit her grandson.   "I just enjoy life now, really enjoy it," she said.   Watch Kathy Thomas discuss her therapeutic experience:http://youtu.be/BOgw7mgQEdc     Tom Stutz, 74, of Sherman Oaks, California, was diagnosed in June 2011 with melanoma that had spread to his lung, liver and other parts of his body. He didn't see how he could survive, but he decided to enroll in the clinical trial of Keytruda anyway.   "I wasn't eating. I was on oxygen. I couldn't walk," he said. "When I went into the hospital at the end of May [2012], I didn't think I was coming out."   Gradually, though, Stutz started feeling better. Today, he's no longer on oxygen and walks several miles every day.   "It's the little things that make me happy now," Stutz said. "I'm very appreciative that I get to get up in the morning, go into my backyard and see my garden. I'm able to be with my children and grandchildren, go on vacations with them. I was close to the end of the road, as far as you can get to the edge of the cliff, and I was pulled back by this treatment."   Watch Tom Stutz discuss his therapeutic experience: http://youtu.be/-HV2W5XrOZY    Melanoma incidence rates have been increasing for at least 30 years. An estimated 76,100 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2014, and nearly 10,000 Americans will die from the disease this year. While melanoma accounts for less than 2 percent of all skin cancer cases, it is responsible for the vast majority of skin cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society.   For more information about Keytruda clinical trials at UCLA, members of the public are invited to call 888-798-0719.

About UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has more than 240 researchers and clinicians engaged in disease research, prevention, detection, control, treatment and education. One of the nation's largest comprehensive cancer centers, the Jonsson center is dedicated to promoting research and translating basic science into leading-edge clinical studies. In July 2014, the Jonsson Cancer Center was named among the top 10 cancer centers nationwide by U.S. News & World Report, a ranking it has held for 14 years.

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SMOKE COVER

09/04/2014 02:57 PM CDT

U.S. Marines and Malaysian soldiers participate in a combined amphibious assault as part of Malaysia-United States Amphibious Exercise 2014 in Lahad Datu, Malaysia, Sept. 2, 2014. The Marines are assigned to Echo Company, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

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THE NIXON DEFENSE: What He Knew and When He Knew It

 

By John W. Dean

 

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Published to coincide withthe August 9, 2014 fortieth anniversary of Richard Nixon's resignation from office, John Dean, a key player in the Nixon administration, has uncovered the full and complete story of the Watergate break-in and cover-up, and discloses Nixon's part in it. Based on previously ignored White House tapes, The Nixon Defense: What He Knew and When He Knew It   connects the dots between the received understanding of Watergate and what actually happened.

 

As widely reported and analyzed as the Watergate break-in and its aftermath have been, controver­sies still remain-from the notorious 18 ½-minute gap in the Nixon recordings to the fundamental question of what Nixon really knew and when he knew it. Surprisingly, the primary source material for the true story of Nixon's role in Watergate-his secret record­ings-have never been fully examined.  In writing The Nixon Defense, John Dean found over 600 conversations no one outside the National Archives had listened to, and he prepared his own transcripts of all the Watergate conversations (approximately 1,000) to reconstruct the full history of the scandal in a dramatic narrative, with dialogue drawn directly from all the recorded conversations.  Before now, no one has attempted to examine and reconstruct this history based on this remarkable primary source material. Rather, historians and other students of the Nixon presidency have chosen to ignore the full collection of secretly recorded White House conversations relating to Watergate, which slowly but surely have become almost fully available over the past four decades.

 

Dean presents a day-to-day record of the Nixon White House confronting the revelation of the break-in, strat­egizing its defense, and ultimately facing its downfall because of its lies. The Nixon Defenseis not only a compelling and historic account of Watergate itself, but a stunning portrait of Nixon and his aides, along with the cynicism, paranoia, and vindictiveness that were so often the driving forces of the president and his inner circle.

 

The narrative account is framed by a list of principal characters, a stage-setting prologue and an epilogue chronologically summarizing the events that occurred after the plug was pulled on the secret recording equipment that brought the Nixon presidency to an end. In addition, the author includes an appendix reporting that what the tapes reveal was the reason for the Watergate break-in.  A second appendix, based on an expert investigation, shows that it was mechanically impossible for Nixon's secretary, Rose Mary Wood, to have erased the portion of the tape that created the 18 ½-minute gap.  The recorded conversations make clear what, in fact, was erased. The Nixon Defense is an unprecedented examination of what brought down a president, and will stand as the authoritative account of Watergate.

 

JOHN W. DEAN was legal counsel to President Nixon during the Watergate scandal, and his Sen­ate testimony lead to Nixon's resignation. In 2006, Dean testified before the Senate Judiciary Commit­tee investigating George W. Bush's NSA warrant­less wiretap program. He teaches a continuing legal education program throughout the country, drawing on the lessons of Watergate, and his political/legal commentary at Justia.com is widely read. He is the New York Timesbestselling author of Blind Ambition, Broken Government, Conservatives Without Conscience and Worse Than Watergate.

 

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South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud in Foreign Labor Contracting, Visa Fraud and Wage and Hour Violations

South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud in Foreign Labor Contracting, Visa Fraud and Wage and Hour Violations

Acting Assistant Attorney General Molly Moran for the Civil Rights Division and United States Attorney Bill Nettles announced today that Reginald Wayne Miller, of Marion, South Carolina, has entered a guilty plea in federal court in Florence to fraud in foreign labor contracting.  Additionally, Miller entered a guilty plea to visa fraud and wage and hour violations.  United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell of Florence accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the pre-sentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. probation office.

Evidence presented at the hearing established that Miller knowingly recruited and enticed foreign students to attend Cathedral Bible College, where he was president.  In doing so, Miller recruited these students outside of the United States for purposes of employment at Cathedral Bible College by means of false representations and promises regarding the employment.  Further, he made material false statements under penalty of perjury on the related immigration documents for these student employees.  Once the students arrived in the United States, Miller violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to pay the student employees the applicable minimum wage.

The maximum penalty for fraud in foreign labor contracting is imprisonment for five years and/or a fine of $250,000.  The maximum penalty for visa fraud is imprisonment for 15 years and/or a fine of $250,000.  The maximum penalty for wage and hour violations is imprisonment for six years and/or a fine of $10,000.

The case was investigated by agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  Justice Department Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Saeed A. Mody and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Fisher Sherard are prosecuting the case.

Truth is the Only Way Forward

Everybody is distracted by the money that is pouring into politics. There is no doubt that politics is influenced by money. Money creates marketing sound bytes that influence Americans. Those sound bytes get repeated over and over and become the water cooler conversations of parrots that can't think for themselves. But model is antiquated. The internet disseminates information at the speed of light. We should be beyond money influencing politics in America. We should be beyond Psychological Operations being perpetrated on the American people.

But where do you turn for the truth? Where can you get information that is backed by references that are not emotionally based but rather fact based? There is a need for a number of truth sites to spring up that break down every issue into emotion vs. fact so that voters can make intelligent decisions. We need watch dog groups that scrutinize every facet of government and issue fact based report cards. We need a watchdog group that keeps score of the judges. We need to catalog and score every single public official and every single public servant.

© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's meeting with Afghan Minister of Defense Bismullah Khan Mohammadi

Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby provided the following readout:

Secretary Hagel met today with Afghan Minister of Defense Bismullah Khan Mohammadi to discuss progress in the election audit process, as well as the security situation in Afghanistan.

 

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Wales.

 

Secretary Hagel praised the work of Afghan security forces for their efforts in providing security for both elections, and noted their efforts to remain separate from the political process.

 

He also congratulated Minister Mohammadi for the gains Afghan and ISAF forces have made against the Taliban this year and stressed U.S. commitment to the Resolute Support and follow-on counter-terrorism missions next year, pending a Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA).

 

Minister Mohammadi reassured Secretary Hagel that both presidential candidates continue to support a BSA. He indicated solid progress toward the completion of the election audit and spoke positively of the continued negotiations between the two candidates toward forming a unity government.

 

Both leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to a continued close defense relationship. 

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Pentagon Notes 'Exceptionally Capable' Russian Force

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2014 - The Russian troops amassed along the Ukrainian border have evolved to an exceptionally capable force, Defense Department spokesman Army Col. Steven Warren told Pentagon reporters today.

While NATO estimates the number of Russian troops inside Ukraine number between 1,000 and 2,000, a significantly larger force is massed at the Russia-Ukraine border, Warren said.

"We are continuing to say [there are] more than 10,000 Russian personnel along the border," he said. "What I will say is that the force that we see [already] along the border is exceptionally capable," adding that it's probably more capable and more lethal than it was before.

Combined arms Russian force

"This is a combined arms force," the colonel said. "It includes land power, indirect fire [and] air defense. It is a capable combined arms force that we remain very concerned about." It is organized with ground forces, the colonel said, and there are higher concentrations of field artillery, air defense and rockets, along with enablers such as engineers, logistics and combat service support

Warren noted the buildup of the Russian forces on the border has occurred over time and is an "evolution."

The Defense Department continues to provide assistance to Ukraine in the form of nonlethal aid, Warren said.

De-escalate the situation

"The whole idea is to de-escalate [the situation]," he added, "so we're very sensitive to providing things that will cause an escalation. We've been looking at it very seriously, and the decision now is to focus on non-lethal aid."

Warren said Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, commander of U.S. European Command, and NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe, also has expressed his concern. "And I know General Breedlove was out earlier this morning, in fact, also talking about this and discussing the fact that several nations, individually and bilaterally, are in discussions with the Ukrainians as well as NATO as a whole," Warren added.

NATO heads of state began an alliance summit meeting today in Wales.

NATO dialogue

Russia's actions, Warren said, have forced an increased dialogue on the financial contributions of all of the NATO nations.

"We're seeing that in everyone's public discussions from all of our senior leaders that actions out of Russia ... are cause for all of the NATO member states to take a close look at their contributions to defense," he said. "This is the purpose of these summits -- to work through these kinds of issues. There's no question the Europeans are acutely aware of Russian actions in their back yard."

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Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's meeting with British Minister of Defense Michael Fallon

Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby provided the following readout:

 

At today's NATO meeting in Wales, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel met in person for the first time with his new British counterpart, Minister of Defense Michael Fallon.  The secretary and the minister discussed a range of issues, including the current situation in Ukraine and the ongoing threat posed by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). 

 

Secretary Hagel expressed his gratitude for the continued British support of humanitarian and resupply efforts in Iraq, and Minister Fallon extended his condolences over the recent murder of American journalist Steven Sotloff.  Both Fallon and Hagel highlighted to need to build a coalition to help address the ISIL threat.

 

Hagel and Fallon also discussed the current situation in Ukraine, and the need for increased defense spending by NATO nations and partners.  Both of them reiterated their nations' commitment to the importance of NATO and the principle of collective defense, including a discussion of the proposed NATO Rapid-Reaction Force. 
 

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