Air Force
Delayed Drop takes off
The annual U.S. Air Force Christmas Drop was held from Dec. 15 to 17 after being postponed by about a week due to the threat of Tropical Storm Talas. The 374th Air Lift Wing stationed at Yokota Air Base in Japan flew the mission to drop goods from C-130s to about 59 islands in the Northern Mariana Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia. Tech Sgt. Jeff Capenos of the public affairs office at Andersen Air Force Base said organizations and individuals on Guam donated more than 28 000 pounds of goods to the drop including toys sporting goods canned goods rice fishing tools and dental supplies. Donors included the Marianas Divers Association Kmart Guam Mobil Oil Guam and Cost-U-Less Guam.
McDowell |
Base Operations Support services contract awarded
The U.S. Naval Forces Marianas and the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific announced Dec. 21 that the Base Operations Support services contract was awarded to Day & Zimmerman Group Inc. the lead company in a team also comprising Parsons Infrastructure and Technology Group Inc. and SKE Support Services Inc.
The Day & Zimmerman group collectively known as DZSP 21 LLC of Philadelphia is a cost-plus award fee with an award-options contract and has a total estimated value of $423 453 152 over the course of a ten-year period. This was based on a one-year base period of $34 091 248.
The DZSP 21 group will begin the contract with a mobilization and phase-in period of approximately 3 months beginning January 2005 leading to full contract performance commencing April 1 2005 and will replace Raytheon Technical Services Guam Inc.
Raytheon started the first BOS contract after winning a cost comparison competition with the former government in-house work force referred in federal terms as an A-76 study on April 9 2000. That contract had an original 7-and-a-1/2-year estimated value of $328.4 million. According to the Pacific Division in Pearl Harbor the Navy remitted to Raytheon the following amounts for the contract: $12.09 million for the base year from Feb. 2000 to Sept. 30 2000; $36.80 million on the first option year to Sept. 30 2001; $79.03 million in the second option year to Sept. 30 2002; $61.89 million in the third option year to Sept. 30 2003; and $71.26 million in the fourth option year Oct. 1 2003 to Sept. 30 2004.
The scope of the new BOS contract includes general management and administrative services for command and staff; public safety; port operations; ordnance; galley; facilities management; supply and facilities services; restoration/modernization; utilities (potable water wastewater electrical and steam) base support vehicles and equipment and environmental.
Cdr. Walter B. “Bub” LeNoir III deputy officer in charge of construction Marianas is responsible for the administration of the BOS contract.
“The new team will bring a transition team in starting Jan. 1 and will work with the exiting Raytheon team to take over the contract ” he said. “These are both very professional groups and we don’t foresee any problems because they each have done this work in other places around the world.”
LeNoir said what seemed like a fast-tracked turnover in reality was common for contracts like this. “We anticipate the contract will go fairly smoothly as they have both been on the receiving and getting end of BOS contract transitions.”
When asked the reason for changing contractors prior to Raytheon running the course of the first contract LeNoir said “The change of requirements for the military on Guam forced us into a situation where the time was right to change contractors to fit the new requirements for the military here.”
Monty A. McDowell is president and chief executive officer for Advance Management Inc. a local company that had negotiated a teaming agreement with the DZSP group.
“I am delighted to be a principal subcontractor for the Navy’s Guam base operating support services contract. Working for the five-star company of Day & Zimmerman — working for an organization of their professionalism — can only enhance my company. It’s a great day for Advance Management and a great day for Guam. “
Leonard |
E. Michael Leonard is project general manager for government operations for Kellogg Brown & Root one of seven companies deemed qualified bidders in the 21-month process.
He told the Journal “We have not been officially de-briefed on the decision but the announced winning estimated price is significantly below our estimate of the necessary cost to meet the Navy’s expectations ” Leonard said from Washington D.C. “As you know KBR has been very involved in community affairs this past two years and we regret that we will not have the opportunity to continue our relationship with the community and people of Guam.”
Third submarine to join Squadron 15
The USS Houston is scheduled to arrive to homeport on Guam on Dec. 24. The Houston joins USS City of Corpus Christi and USS San Francisco as the third Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine to join Submarine Squadron 15 before the end of 2004.
The Houston arriving from Bremerton Wash. with a crew of 140 to 150 sailors and officers is designed to seek and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships. Its other missions range from intelligence collecting and special Forces delivery to anti-ship and strike warfare.
613th Security Force Squadron to train on Guam
The U.S. Air Force 613th Security Force Squadron will conduct a training exercise Dec. 30 from 9 a.m. to noon at the former Federal Aviation Administration building in Dededo.
The participants in the exercise will wear military clothing and carry weapons but will fire blank ammunition.
Oklahoma City visits Saipan
The USS Oklahoma City visited Saipan from Nov. 24 to Nov. 30. The ship carried a crew of about 135 personnel and was making its first visit to the Northern Mariana Islands.
Maneuvers held at FDM
Live-fire training exercises were held from Dec. 10 to 14 at Farallon de Mendenilla. Activity was conducted from surface to 15 000 feet on a nautical radius of 10 miles. An aerial survey of the island was held on Dec. 16.
Korean ships visit Guam
Three ships with the Korean Navy Cruise Training Force visited Guam Dec. 19. About 625 Sailors and 175 midshipmen off the Yangmanchoon a destroyer; Hwachoen an ammunition oil and equipment ship; and Wonsan a mine-laying ship were on Guam “to enhance diplomatic relations ” according to a release from the U.S. Navy.
Since Sept. 22 the ships led by Rear Adm. Sung-Gyue Oh commander of the cruise training force visited 10 ports in six countries including Russia Japan Mexico Canada and French Polynesia. The purpose of the cruise was to train midshipmen and improve international rapport.
Upon completion of its journey the crew would have sailed 21 080 miles in 99 days. The ships departed Guam Dec. 23. MBJ
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