Salons send dueling letters to Prez

President Biden’s budget proposal for the Defense Department is tentatively scheduled to be released in May. In the interim, two groups of lawmakers have sent dueling letters to the White House. A group of “progressive” House members are pushing for cuts to that defense while a bipartisan letter from Group 2 – led by lawmakers from Mississippi and Maine – are arguing for a bigger Navy, and a boost to shipbuilding. Fifty Democrats sent a letter to the President on March 16 arguing for a decreased budget for the Pentagon. Bloomberg News and Politico reported Biden’s proposal would be between $704B and $708B. The bipartisan letter, primarily from Maine and Mississippi senators, was signed by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Angus King (I-Maine), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.); and Reps. Trent Kelly (R-Miss.), Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.), Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine). The letter also specifically asks the Navy to keep buying Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and their successor (DDG(X)). General Dynamics Bath (Maine) Iron Works and Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., both build those destroyers. Among the Democrat signees calling for a decrease in funding were Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), the only member of the House Armed Services Committee to sign the letter, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Katie Porter (D-Calif.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.). No members of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee signed the letter. (Source: USNI News 03/16/21) Dual Letters From Congress Signal Hill Headed for Defense Spending Showdown - USNI News

AF SG addresses history luncheon

Lt. Gen. Dorothy Hogg, U.S. Air Force and Space Force surgeon general, delivered a message during the Women’s History Month luncheon March 12 hosted by Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. Members of Team Blaze as well as members of the local community gathered to hear Hogg speak about her experiences and ideals on women in the military. (Source: CAFB 03/16/25/21) March is Women’s History Month. Surgeon General emphasizes step up, step out impact > Columbus Air Force Base > Article Display (af.mil) 

Oxford vying for 'Strongest Town'

Oxford, Miss., is one of 16 communities on the online campaign trail to become the Strongest Town in the U.S. and Canada. The sixth-annual Strongest Town Competition, a bracket-style competition, is to decide which town has done the best in meeting the challenges of COVID-19. Round 1: Oxford vs. Ridgewood, N.J. Voting opened Monday and ends before 12 noon on March 18. Votes can be cast at www.StrongTowns.org/strongesttown. The eight communities that receive the most votes before Thursday will to Round 2. Additional Round 1 matchups: Kenmore, Wash. vs. Coaldale, Alberta; Norfolk, Va., vs. Bentonville, Ark.; Osakis, Minn. vs. Yellow Springs, Ohio; Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., vs. Middleton, Wis.; Lockport, Ill. vs. Bellingham, Wash. Bismarck, N.D. vs. Elkhart, Ind.; and Northfield, Vt. vs. Edmond, Okla. According to Strong Towns, this year’s communities were nominated “based on how their town rose to address the challenges that came with the coronavirus pandemic.”(Source: Magnola State 03/16/21) This Mississippi city is competing for the title of Strongest Town in U.S., Canada. It needs your vote - Magnolia State Live | Magnolia State Live

NASM, biz oppose transfer station

MERIDIAN, Miss. - The Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors hosted a public hearing March 15 to allow residents to speak on JWC Environmental's proposal to build a million-dollar waste transfer station in G.V. Sonny Montgomery Industrial Park. The Twin States Recycling Center would be a waste transfer station and recycling center. JWC said this would cut down on illegal dumping, and allow locals 5o drop off waste and recyclables at the site six days a week. Local residents, business leaders, from Lockheed Martin, Peavey Electronics, and Southern Pipe Supply Company, and the base commander of NAS Meridian, expressed opposition. “Over the airfield is where we have to dodge a lot of vultures (Damaging bird-strikes to intakes and windshields and pilot safety) because our concern is the proposed transfer station would actually cause the vulture population to move to the north over the landing pattern,” said NASM Commanding Officer Capt. Timothy B. Moore. The proposed location is less than two miles from NASM’s flight path, but JWC said this enclosed facility would be cleaned daily and would have an odor filtration system. NASM partnered with Mississippi State University wildlife oncology professor, Dr. Scott Rush, to oppose the project. Vultures work off of sight and sense of smell. “So, even in an enclosed structure, you can still have smell that comes out of that facility and acts as a draw to bring the vultures in,” Dr. Rush said. JWC told the board many U.S. military bases, including at least one (unidentified) in Mississippi, have transfer stations that are actually closer to their bases than this proposed location is to NASM. However, NASM and all businesses in opposition said they’re willing to work with JWC to find a new location, but JWC’s done the research and says the industrial park it’s a perfect fit, according to a report from WTOK. Public comments can still be made until 5 p.m. on March 26 on the 11th floor of the Annex building in downtown Meridian. The board now has 90 days to make a decision. (Source: WTOK 03/15/21) NAS Meridian, businesses leaders oppose transfer station location (wtok.com)

La. firms awarded DoD contracts

The Defense Department announced March 16 that two Louisiana-Gulf Coast firms had been awarded contracts: 

*Meyer Engineer Ltd., Metairie, La., was awarded an $18,705,226 firm-fixed-price contract for construction management services. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 16, 2026. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, is the contracting activity. 

*Gulf Island Shipyards, Houma, La., is awarded a $13,144,135 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-18-C-2207) for the purchase of government purpose data rights for follow-on Fleet Ocean Tugs (T-ATS) ships. The modification is for the purchase of a special license agreement for government purpose data rights, as the term is defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation 252.227-7013. This specifically-negotiated government purpose rights license will expire in 20 years and will apply to all commercial and noncommercial data delivered, per the terms of the modification. Work will be performed in Houma, and is expected to be completed by March 2022. Fiscal 2021 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $13,144,135 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contract authority.(Source: DoD 03/16/17)

1st Italian female pilot earns wings

The Italian navy’s first female strike fighter pilot received her Wings of Gold after completing undergraduate flight training with the “Tigers” of Training Squadron (VT) 9 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, Miss., on March 11. Italian Ensign Erika Raballo was designated a naval aviator during a small winging ceremony at the base chapel with five classmates marking a significant milestone in Italian-U.S. naval aviation history. She conducted her final graded curriculum event in a T-45C Goshawk jet trainer on March 10. She returned to her VT-9 squadron mates waiting on the Training Air Wing 1 flight line for a traditional “soft winging” ceremony during which VT-9 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Meghan Angermann presented Raballo with a fabric patch emblazoned with the Wings of Gold. “She has proven she is a capable, competent war-fighter ready to take her strike aviation training to the next level.” said Angermann. “She and her classmates worked hard to get to this point and what they can and will accomplish in the future is limitless.” (Source: CNATRA 03/12/21) First Female Italian Navy Strike Fighter Pilot Earns Wings of Gold > United States Navy > News-Stories

$8M fuel services at NAS Meridian

K&K Services LLC, Alpharetta, Ga., has been awarded a maximum $8,256,336 firm-fixed-price contract for ground fuel services at Naval Air Station, Meridian, Miss. This was a competitive acquisition with 10 responses received. This is a four-year base contract with one five-year option period and one six-month extension. Locations of performance are Georgia and Mississippi, with a May 31, 2025, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (SPE603-21-C-5001). NOTE: The original contract awarded on Sept. 29, 2020 (SPE603-20-R-0504) was protested in October 2020 and a stop work order was immediately issued which resulted in termination of the contract. (Source: DoD 03/15/21)

Bill may boost share of oil revenue

A yet-to-be introduced U.S. Senate bill, to increase the amount of federal offshore oil revenue shared with Gulf Coast states, would be designed to set up similar revenue sharing for wind energy generated in federal waters, got a vote of support from the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. The proposed bill, ‘Reinvesting in America's Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems Act’, would fulfill promises of Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) made last summer to expand revenue sharing under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act when it became clear that such an expansion would not be included in the Great American Outdoors Act. The Gulf Coast states sharing includes Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Florida does not share in the revenue as there are no O&G production allowed in its federal waters. (Source: NOLA.com 03/11/21) Coastal authority backs proposal to boost Louisiana's share of offshore oil, gas revenue | Environment | nola.com

Purnell: MS' humanities top teacher

Deborah Purnell, an English instructor and director of Mississippi Valley State University’s Writing Center, has been named the Division of Academic Affairs’ 2020-21 Humanities Teacher of the Year. Mississippi Humanities Council Public Humanities Awards recognizes outstanding work by Mississippians in bringing the humanities' insights to public audiences. This year's awards event will be stream on the Humanities Council's Facebook and YouTube channels at 7 p.m. March 26. In the meantime, Purnell will hold a virtual presentation at 11 a.m. March 16. Those interested can view the presentation via zoom. The title of her presentation is "How Invisibility, Isolation, and Intersectionality Works to Further Class and Racial Antagonism for African American Women in John Singleton's Higher Learning." The film premiered in cinemas across America in 1995. Purnell graduated from MVSU with a degree in English and a Master's of Arts degree from the University of Mississippi in Journalism and English. She also has a Master of Fine Arts Degree from Full Sail University in Creative Writing. She resides in Oxford, Miss. (Source: Mississippi Valley State University 03/11/21) MVSU names Purnell Humanities Teacher of the Year | Mississippi Valley State University

CVN-78 boss: EMALS worth it

Commanding Officer Capt. Paul Lanzilotta wakes each day aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) with a long to-do list to balance, as the only East Coast carrier available, while wrapping up new-ship testing and preparations for shock trials in the summer. Capt. Lanzilotta is overseeing dozens of contractors from Newport News (Va.) Shipbuilding who are completing work on the Advanced Weapons Elevators and conducting other maintenance work. At the same time, he has the lone responsibility to help train sailors from other carriers in maintenance periods, and to conduct carrier qualifications for new pilots in flight school and in fleet replacement squadrons. What’s driving delays to Ford’s post-delivery test and trials is the large number of new systems. The goal of these new systems is to help the Ford class generate more sorties and more lethal with a smaller crew. The ship has yet to work with a full carrier air wing on flight operations to see how fast the new Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) can clear planes from the flight deck. The CO says EMALS is proving its worth already on the maintenance side. “Any complex system requires constant attention and maintenance.” The steam catapult system on Nimitz-class carriers requires “a lot of manpower and a lot of man-and-woman hours on the flight deck.” After a day of flight ops on a Nimitz-class carrier, there’s up to three hours of preventative maintenance to do before teams can close up for the night. “On this ship, our sailors literally put (EMALS) in standby mode, and get the same bite to eat and go to bed. Those are hard-to-measure benefits, but in my mind they’re huge,” Lanzilotta said. (Source: USNI News 03/12/21) MISSISSIPPI NOTE: General Atomics’ Tupelo, Miss., high cycle test facility assembles EMALS designed to reduce technical risk, demonstrating its system performance and meet specific contract requirements. As USS Gerald R. Ford Nears Shock Trials, Carrier Remains Busy With Testing, Fleet Support - USNI News

$15M pact for La. firm

Sapper Solutions of Mandeville, La., was awarded a $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for project management support services for efforts related to the water resources programs in south Louisiana. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 11, 2026. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 03/12/21)

New AHI VP of MS plant

Mike Spears is retiring March 31 from Airbus Helicopters Inc. He will hand over the reins to the new VP of Industry and Civil Programs Johannes Dienemann. In the post, he will serve as site supervisor the Columbus, Miss., plant. (Source: Daily Journal )3.10/21 Spears hands over duties to Dienmann at Airbus | MS Business Journal | djournal.com

Study: MSU economic impact $1.8B

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University provides an estimated annual economic impact of $1.8B to the state, according to an analysis by the economic modeling company Emsi (for MSU) shows the university provides a strong return on investment for taxpayers, students and society. MSU’s economic impact supports 29,016 jobs, or one of every 55 jobs in the Magnolia State. Emsi's study, conducted last year, is based on data from fiscal year 2018-19. (Source: MSU 03/12/21) MSU creates $1.8 billion annual economic impact, study shows | Mississippi State University (msstate.edu)0

$25M+ pact for NAS/JRB NOLA

B.L. Harbert International, Birmingham, Ala., is awarded a $25,645,906 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of aviation facilities at Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, La. The contract also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised, would increase cumulative contract value to $26,121,735. The work to be performed provides for the construction of an aerospace control alert facility and apron, to include aircraft shelters, aircrew alert quarters, utilities, communication support, site improvements, exterior lighting and security upgrades. The option, if exercised, provides for furniture, fixtures and equipment. Work will be performed in Belle Chasse, La., and is expected to be completed by October 2024. FY 2019 Air National Guard military construction contract funds in the amount of $25,645,906 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website with two proposals received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 03/11/21)

Reps hear mil.housing progress

With most of the tenant bill of rights available for military housing residents, lawmakers from the U.S. House readiness and military personnel subcommittees held a joint hearing March 10 on privatized military housing. They pressed executives of three major privatized housing companies - Balfour Beatty Communities, LendLease Americas and Corvias Group - about their progress in implementing 15 of 18 housing reforms aimed at stamping out mold, rodents, and health and safety issues. A fourth company, Clark Realty Capital, declined the subcommittees’ invitation to testify. It didn’t sit well with lawmakers. Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s readiness subcommittee, said he’d heard from housing advocates that the tenant bill of rights was good, but “lacks teeth.” But, he followed that observation with making “sure that base commanders are held responsible for the well-being of all personnel on their base. I don’t know of any other way to enforce the bill of rights than to hold the base commanders responsible.” He said he’d be looking at how that might be accomplished, but “(i)f the base commander wants his next assignment, he’d better be sure that the base housing is not an issue in his record.” (Source: Military Times 03/11/21) https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/2021/03/11/base-commanders-should-be-held-responsible-for-enforcing-tenants-rights-lawmaker-says/

Seabees' master chief rating merger

The Navy is merging three ratings into a single one for senior enlisted Seabees, giving those personnel a better chance of picking up the E-9 rank, the Navy announced. Master Chiefs in the constructionman, equipmentman, and utilities constructionman ratings will see their titles changed to the new Seabee master chief. The change, which goes into effect March 15, will apply to E-9s in those ratings from the active force and Reserve. The consolidation of the ratings follows a review of Naval Construction Force master chief billets, Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. John Nowell Jr. wrote in a service-wide message issued March 5. The review found most E-9 billets "can be filled by any Seabee Master Chief regardless of source rating," he said. There are currently 62 MCs in those ratings, and 211 senior chiefs in the Seabee ratings. (Source: Military.com 03/09/21) MISSISSIPPI NOTE: Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Miss., is HQ for all East Coast Seabees. Navy Introduces New 'Master Chief Seabee' Rating to Improve Promotion Chances | Military.com

T-45s to get new O2 concentrators

The Navy's entire fleet of Boeing-built T-45 Goshawks will receive a new smart oxygen concentrator, which is crucial in providing clean air for pilots in flight. Cobham Mission Systems announced March 9 it won a Naval Air Systems Command contract to update the jet trainers with the GGU-25 next-generation concentrator. (Source: Military.com 03/09/21) MISSISSIPPI NOTE: Under Commander Training Air Wing ONE (CTW-1), Training Squadron SEVEN (VT-7) and Training Squadron NINE (VT-9) train Naval Aviators in Primary Flight Training in the T-6B Texan II. VT-7 and VT-9 also train Student Naval Aviators in the T-45C Goshawk, the Navy's most advanced strike jet trainer. (NAS Meridian) Navy's Whole T-45 Trainer Fleet to Get New Oxygen Systems After Hypoxia-Like Events | Military.com

 

MS mayor 1st woman to land on AC

March is Women’s History Month. Lynn Spruill, the first female naval aviator to pass the carrier landing test trained to become a pilot at NAS Pensacola. She was part of the second group of eight female naval officers who earned their wings at NASP in 1974, the same year the Navy began training female aviators. In 1979, Spruill landed a C-1A Trader aboard USS Independence, becoming the first female naval aviator to land on an aircraft carrier. She would go on to fly for Delta Airlines and later take over her family’s property management business. Spruill was also the first female mayor of Addison, Texas, and is currently the first female mayor of Starkville, Miss. (Source: NAS Pensacola 03/07/21) (2) NAS Meridian | Facebook

FORCM wishes Seabees happy 79th

Navy Seabee Force Master Chief Delbert Terrell wishes Gulfport, Miss., Seabees a happy 79th birthday and the Civil Engineer Corps a happy 154th birthday. (Source: Navy Seabee video 03/08/21) (2) Facebook)

Mil.spouses virtual hiring fair

The Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) will host a fourth virtual hiring fair for military spouses on March 10. The free MSEP Virtual Hiring Fair - “Navigate to Success: Claim Your Space in Today’s Workplace” – gives military spouses opportunities to live chat from anywhere with hiring managers from MSEP partner companies seeking military spouse employees. More than 100 MSEP companies will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST to speak directly with military spouses interested in job openings. Spouses may apply for featured CONUS and OCONUS jobs with MSEP partners directly through the event platform. “The hiring fair is designed to be flexible for military spouses,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy Patricia “Patty” Montes Barron. “Whether you join for 30 minutes or the full four hours, registrants can log in to the event to make valuable connections and explore in-person and remote career opportunities.” For more information, call 800-342-9647 to speak with a SECO career coach, start a live chat and visit www.msephire.vfairs.com to register for the event. (Source: DoD 03/7/21)