Blue Angels' 2021 team

The Navy’s Blue Angels announced four new officer selections for the 2021 team, a team that is set to make history with the transition to the F/A-18 Super Hornet, and take part in the Blue Angels’ 75th Anniversary season. No new F/A-18 demonstration pilots were selected for 2021 due to the cancellation of the 2020 season, and the current demonstration pilots will retain their roles for the 2021 show season. The squadron selected a C-130 demonstration pilot, a maintenance officer, an events coordinator, and a flight surgeon to replace outgoing team members. C-130 Demonstration Pilot: Marine Capt. Jackson Streiff of Omaha, Neb. Maintenance Officer: Navy Lt. Henry Cedeño of Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico.  Events Coordinator: Navy Lt. Katlin Forster of Scottsdale, Ariz., a naval flight officer instructor currently assigned to Training Squadron 86 at NAS Pensacola. Flight Surgeon: Navy Lt. Monica Borza of Virginia Beach, Va. The 2021 airshow season will include a Gulf Coast regional appearance at Lake Charles, La., on June 5-6. (Source: Blue Angels 07/20)

Blues get first new Super Hornet

The Navy's Blue Angels demonstration team received the first F/A-18E Super Hornet at the unit's home at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. It is the first of 18 Super Hornets that are set to replace the team's legacy F/A-18 Hornets. Navy Capt. Eric Doyle, director of the Blue Angels Super Hornet Transition Team, flew the jet from Boeing's facilities at Cecil Field aboard NAS Jacksonville, Fla., to Pensacola on July 27. Pictures had first emerged of the aircraft, which is set to be the new Blue Angel 1, wearing the team's blue and gold colors in May. (Source: The Drive 07/27/20) https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/35127/the-blue-angels-have-officially-received-their-first-f-a-18e-super-hornet

MSU, south Ala. CC partner

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University and Bishop State Community College in Mobile, Alabama, signed a memorandum of understanding today [July 27] to formalize partnership programs for students enrolled in technical education programs. The agreement outlines a pathway for Bishop State students to complete MSU’s new Bachelor of Applied Science program, leveraging the strengths of both institutions to provide more opportunities in technical education and meet current and future workforce demands. (Source: Miss. State University 07/27/20) https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2020/07/msu-bishop-state-community-college-sign-mou-bachelor-applied-science

DOT approves $6.6M grant to PRCC

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced that the U.S. Department of the Treasury has approved a RESTORE Act grant of $6.67M in support of Pearl River Community College’s (PRCC) workforce training in Hancock County. These funds, and other leveraged funds, will be used for the construction of the PRCC workforce training center, which is strategically located adjacent to Stennis International Airport and Hancock County High School. The grant is administered by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). (Source: Y’all Politics 07/27/20) https://yallpolitics.com/2020/07/27/governor-tate-reeves-announces-u-s-treasury-approves-6-6-million-grant-to-support-prcc/

Ex-NHP resident is AAFP delegate

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The American Academy of Family Physicians selected Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Bernstein of Naval Branch Health Clinic Mayport, Fla.’s senior medical officer to be its delegate to the American Medical Association’s Young Physicians Section. AMA’s Young Physicians Section represents physicians who are under 40 years of age, or who are in their first eight years of professional practice. Bernstein, who earned his Family Medicine specialty at Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla., will join representatives from all states, and nearly 40 other specialty society representatives, to consider health policy issues, specifically those of concern to young practicing physicians. (Source: NH Jacksonville 07/27/20) Mississippi Note: NH Pensacola has branch health clinics at NAS Meridian and NCBC Gulfport, Miss., and NAS/JRB New Orleans. https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=113628

MS considers MASH-like hospitals

Nine of Mississippi’s largest hospitals did not have an intensive care unit (ICU) bed available this past weekend. They are at full capacity. State health officials are considering deployable military-like (MASH) hospitals to provide more beds for coronavirus patients. However, they say the quality of care in those facilities won’t be what the public is used to. “If we need sort of a … hundred-bed facility, where we are putting patients, we will take the necessary steps to do that,” Gov. Tate Reeves said last week. “(T)he quality of care in those facilities is not going to be the same level as if you go to a level one facility in Mississippi today.” (The AP 07/27/20) https://www.magnoliastatelive.com/2020/07/27/mississippi-leaders-ready-to-add-pop-up-icu-facilities-if-virus-spread-continues/

Gulf trustees' annual meeting info

Outreach materials are now available from the July 16 Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Trustee Council’s annual meeting webinar. During this virtual event, the fifth annual public meeting, information provided on its work since the last meeting in June 2019. You can view all the materials presented at the meeting, including the presentations and fact sheets, via the Trustee Council's latest web update. The Trustees and representatives of the seven Trustee Implementation Groups, responsible for planning and implementing restoration projects for the natural resources injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, gave updates on their progress over the last year. The public meeting also included an opportunity for the public to provide comments to the Trustees after the presentation. This meeting also served as the annual public meeting of the Regionwide Trustee Implementation Group. (Source: Gulf Spill Restoration 07/27/20)

Most bases > health protections

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military has increased health protection requirements in at least 21 bases in recent weeks, particularly across Texas and Florida, as the COVID-19 rate continues to spike among service members, more than doubling in the last month. The rising numbers match the increase coronavirus cases in the general public. The military still has a dramatically low death rate, losing three service members - including just one active-duty - out of nearly 23,000 cases to date. The moves to higher alert levels at the defense installations are somewhat limited because the military as a whole has been much slower to loosen pandemic restrictions than states around the country, particularly sections of the South and West. “I find that each base does things a little bit different, and they’ve adapted very carefully,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper said this past week. According to data obtained by The AP, more than 45 percent of military bases around the world are currently at “health condition Charlie,” which involves “substantial risk” of “sustained community transmission” of the virus. A significant number of those bases are spread across the South and West and have stayed at or gone back to level C. That’s one step below the most restrictive level, on a scale that goes from Zero to Level D - Severe. Under level C, base access and travel is restricted, gatherings likely cancelled, and more worked from home. Under level B, social distancing and other health procedures are still recommended, but more movement, travel and in-person gatherings are allowed. Nearly all of the remaining bases are at level B, moderate risk. Remote bases, such as AF installations in Norway and Greenland, are at level A-plus. The AF has had the most installations (14) to have reduced restrictions only to have to revert back. The Navy went back to level C at four locations this month. Army/Marines each has had only one base increase restrictions after loosening them earlier. NAS/Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, at Belle Chasse, also reduced restrictions. The military has relied largely on its local commanders to make decisions about restrictions. (Source: The Associated Press 07/26/20) https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/07/26/more-military-bases-increase-health-protections-due-to-virus/

Medics undergo combatant training

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Columbus Air Force Base’s 14th Medical Group trained 10 medics in the wing’s first on-site Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) combatants course July 16 at the Kortiz medical clinic. The TCCC course provides medics with life-saving skills in addition to tactical field care, tactical evacuation care, and essential need-to-know capabilities to save lives while in combat situations. It’s readiness focused training “aimed at treating those preventable battlefield deaths when deployed,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Kelly, 14th MDG chief nurse and National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians TCCC Instructor. With readiness being the No. 1 priority of AF Surgeon General, and across DoD, the 14th MDG was making sure Airmen were getting the proper tactical medical training. Refresher training will be held at a minimum of every 24 months keeping medics ready to deploy. Medics practiced treatment on augmented mannequins as well as volunteers with replicated battle wounds to simulate the feel and smell of traumatic injuries. Senior Airman Robert Patterson, 14th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron mental health technician, said the knowledge learned on “how to stay calm … (w)ith all the screaming, gunshot noises and the stress of needing to get the wounded to safety, the training felt very real.” TCCC also teaches first-responder treatment of the most preventable causes of death on the battlefield, controlling a hemorrhage, treating penetrating chest wounds, airway protection and tourniquet application. Almost 90 percent of severely wounded combat service members die before getting to a medical treatment facility, which illustrates the importance of first responders to be combat ready on the battlefield. (Source: CAFB 07/17/20)

Gov. appoints 3 to flag commission

JACKSON, Miss. - Gov. Tate Reeves announced Friday he is appointing the chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Chief Cyrus Ben and two other people to a nine-member flag commission, to help design a new Mississippi state flag. Mississippi legislators voted in late June to retire the state flag with a Confederate battle flag emblem. The commission must design a new Mississippi flag with public input. Commissioners were supposed to be appointed by July 15, but Reeves missed the deadline. In addition to Ben, Reeves appointed Betsey Hamilton of New Albany and Frank Bordeaux of Gulfport. Six commissioners appointed by the House speaker and the lieutenant governor held their first meeting July 22. They are collecting flag proposals from the general public until early August and will set a design by early September. (Source: The AP 07/24/20)

Update: IDs released from Hurlburt

There was a domestic disturbance July 24 involving an active shooter aboard Hurlburt Field, Fla., that left one dead and one injured. The base went on lockdown, which was lifted Friday evening by Hurlburt’s Security Forces. Local law enforcement has secured the scene. The identification of the deceased was to be withheld for 24 hours until next-of-kin notification, according to a media release. The injured person was transported to a local hospital. “My condolences go out to all affected by this senseless tragedy,” Col. Jocelyn J. Schermerhorn, commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing, wrote on the command’s Facebook page. The 1st SOW constantly works to “mitigate this needless violence through our on-base resources and programs.” Col. Schermerhorn took command of the 1st SOW in June. Hurlburt Field is HQ for the Air Force Special Operations Command. (Source: 1st SOW 07/24/20) UPDATE: The shooter has been identified as civilian spouse Elliot Alexeichik who was declared dead on the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The injured, Airman First Class Kimberly Alexeichik, a member of the 1st Special Operations Wing, was transported to a local hospital due to a gunshot wound. She is currently in stable condition and focused on recovery, according to a Hurlburt media release of July 26.

LHA 7 departs Ingalls for SD

The Navy’s newest amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) departed from Ingalls Shipbuilding on July 24 sailing to its homeport in San Diego. Tripoli entered the Pascagoula River channel passing guided missile destroyer Delbert D. Black (DDG 119), which has been delivered to the Navy by Ingalls, and will sail away later this year. (Source: Ingalls Shipbuilding 07/24/20) https://newsroom.huntingtoningalls.com/file/lha-7-sail-away

Biz adapts sports tech for COVID

MAYHEW, Miss. - Cutting edge technology used by college and pro sports teams to enhance athletes’ performances has been adapted for business use to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus among employees, according to information provided to industry leaders at a virtual conference hosted by Athlete Engineering at Mississippi State University and The Communiversity at East Mississippi Community College. (Source: Meridian Star 07/23/20) https://www.meridianstar.com/news/business/

Naval Community College pact

Regional Gulf Coast colleges - Mississippi Community College Board, Jackson, Mississippi (N00189-20-D-Z850); Columbia Southern University, Orange Beach, Alabama (N00189-20-D-Z824); Tallahassee Community College, Tallahassee, Florida (N00189-20-D-Z891); Wallace State Community College, Hanceville, Alabama (N00189-20-D-Z9) - are among dozens of contract awardees of a $147,050,000 multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts to provide educational services to the entire enlisted workforce and to establish the U.S. Naval Community College in support of the Office of the Chief Learning Officer. The contracts will run concurrently with no option period.  The ordering period of the contracts is anticipated to begin August 2020, and is expected to be completed by July 2025. Work will be performed at various locations across 37 states and the District of Columbia. The percentage of work at each of the facilities cannot be determined at this time. FY 2020 Navy operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $59,500 will be obligated ($500 on each of the 119 contracts to fund the contracts' minimum amounts), and funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The funding for task orders to be issued under these contracts will come from a variety of sources and will be consistent with the purpose for which the funds were appropriated. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted through beta.SAM.gov and 245 offers were received. The Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center, Norfolk, Contracting Department, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 07/23/20) Additional awardees at https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2286392// 

GC emergency roof contract

Barlovento LLC, Dothan, Ala., was awarded a $45,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to support the advanced contract initiative for emergency temporary roof repairs for the Gulf Coast of the U.S. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2027.  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, is the contracting activity. (DoD 07/23/20)

AHI mod pact for UH-72Ds

AHI, Grand Prairie, Texas, was awarded a $73,999,755 modification (PZ0014) to contract W58RGZ-18-C-0007 for 15 UH-72 D-2 production aircraft and options to procure three additional D-2 production aircraft, 18 jettisonable cockpit doors, 14 engine inlet barrier filters and 14 environmental control units. Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2022.  Fiscal 2018, 2019 and 2020 aircraft procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $73,999,755 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. (DoD 07/23/20) Mississippi Note: Airbus Helicopters Inc. (AHI) of Columbus, Miss., builds UH-72 helicopters for the Army.

Correx: MS deputy drowns in FL

A DeSoto County, Miss., sheriff’s deputy drowned July 22 in Walton County, Fla., near Sandestin, the local sheriff’s office reported. William K. Nichols, 33, who worked as a deputy sheriff in NW Mississippi was pulled from the water and identified, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office reported. Nichols reportedly had just saved his teenage son who was in distress. (Source: Magnolia State 07/22/20) Correction and additional information: Nichols drown at Sandestin Res0rt on Sunday, July 19. His son was 10 years old. He was pulled from the Gulf of Mexico and EMS initiated CPR. He was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, where he was pronounced dead. Nichols was DeSoto County’s director of search and rescue. (Source: WEAR TV 07/23/20) https://weartv.com/news/local/mississippi-deputy-drowns-after-rescuing-son-from-sandestin-waters

Triangle counties unemployment up

June’s unemployment numbers ticked upward for Lowndes, Clay and Oktibbeha counties. Statewide numbers continued to decrease, according to preliminary statistics released by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. Clay County (14.5%) is ranked 76th out of Mississippi's 82 counties, the seventh worst statewide, and from May’s 14.4 %. Noxubee County is right behind West Point at 77th (14.7%). Noxubee's unemployment rate spiked from 12.6% in May. Lowndes had a 10.7% unemployment rate in June compared to 10.4% in May - ranking 55th in Mississippi. Oktibbeha went from 9.2% in May to 9.9% in June, ranking it 44th. For June, statewide unemployment rate was 9.7%. Statewide unemployment hit a yearly-high in April at 15.7% before decreasing to 10.4% in May. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 07/23/20)

Today in 1885, Prez Grant dies

On July 23, 1885, just after completing his memoirs, Civil War hero and former president Ulysses S. Grant dies of throat cancer. (Source: History 07/23/20) Mississippi Note: President Grant’s official library is located at Mississippi State University. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/former-president-ulysses-s-grant-dies?cmpid=email-hist-tdih-2020-0723-07232020&om_rid=a031986c654ea9cf68847862c8d8d88de5465e5458d66741416b23e98f9747b9

Vertex onboard maintenance pact

AECOM Management Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland (FA3002-20-D-0012); AKIMA Logistics Services LLC, Herndon, Virginia (FA3002-20-D-0013); DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas (FA3002-20-D0010); Jacobs Technology Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Florida (FA3022-20-D-0014); Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia (FA3002-20-D-0011); M1 Support Services LP, Denton, Texas (FA3002-20-D-0015); PAE Services LLC, Arlington, Virginia (FA3002-20-D-0016); and Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss. (FA3002-20-D-0017), have been awarded a maximum $14,000,000,000 multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract for Aircraft Maintenance Enterprise Solution -- a strategic sourcing vehicle for Air Force-wide contracted aircraft maintenance. The contractors will provide all organizational-level maintenance services for all aircraft listed in each individual task order performance work statement, which can include any aircraft platform (excluding rotary wing, tiltrotor and remotely piloted aircraft). Because this is an IDIQ, the location of performance is not known at this time and will be cited on individual task orders. Generally, work will be performed at government facilities and is expected to be completed Sept. 14, 2030. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with 19 offers received. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 07/22/20)