DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL WORKS WITH TURKEY TO COORDINATE RESPONSE TO ISIL

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Right:  Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz escorts Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel after their meeting at the Ministry of National Defense in Ankara, Turkey, Sept. 8, 2014. DoD photo by Glenn Fawcett  


Hagel Reaffirms Turkey’s Pledge to Help Defeat ISIL
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel yesterday held a series of meetings with government and defense leaders in Turkey’s capital of Ankara to begin coordinating that nation’s role in the NATO coalition forming to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.

Hagel was in Turkey as part of a six-day trip that included participation in the NATO summit in Wales last week and meetings with government and military leaders in Georgia. The secretary’s 16th international trip began Sept. 3 and ends today.

In Ankara, Hagel met with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz and Chief of the General Staff Necdet Ozel.

Afterward, during a roundtable with reporters traveling with him, Hagel noted the consistency of the Turkish government’s commitment to the country’s role as a critically important NATO partner and as a leader in their part of the world.

A democratic, Muslim Turkey

“They are a democratic Muslim country that has done an exceptional job over many years of building an economy and opportunity for their people,” Hagel told the reporters. “When we look around the world … Turkey, I think in many ways, can be seen as a model for engaging and practicing a vibrant democracy.”
Hagel said Turkey will be involved in all efforts, as President Barack Obama articulated on the last day of the NATO Summit, to build a broad international coalition to combat the threat posed by ISIL. The secretary later named the “core coalition” countries as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Turkey.

“ISIL is a threat, as President Obama [and other leaders] have said, to its own region of the world first,” Hagel said. “It's a threat to every country, it’s a threat to every society, and Turkey lives right here.”

Productive discussions

The secretary said his conversations with the Turkish leadership were productive.
“I didn't come here to ask for specific missions that they would take on or specific roles they would perform,” he said. “It’s up to every country to decide what's in their interest, as well as the collective interest of the region and, in Turkey's case, NATO. The main reason I was here today was to start coordinating with the leaders of Turkey on working through some of the challenges as we go forward and think through how we are going to deal with ISIL.”

He said Obama would detail the strategy for dealing with the terrorist group from the U.S. perspective later this week.

“It was very clear to me in my conversations today with the Turkish leaders that they clearly saw that as the overall objective here, when we start thinking through what we're dealing with, both short term and long term,” the secretary said.

Reaffirming Turkey’s commitment

Hagel described the meetings as a reaffirmation of Turkey's commitment to be part of the effort to destroy ISIL and everything ISIL represents to the local region and to all countries.

“Foreign fighters came up in the discussions I had with all the leaders, as did every dimension of what we're dealing with here,” he said. “The issue of foreign fighters has [come] up in every conversation I've had in the last month, whether it was in Australia or India.”

The issue also was a big part of the conversation in Wales, Hagel noted.
All nations are examining the threat of citizens of their own countries participating with ISIL and other dangerous terrorist groups in the Middle East, the secretary added, and are looking for ways to work together to address the threat of foreign fighters. “That's not a military responsibility only,” he added. “It’s law enforcement -- it's all of the departments of each of our governments.”
Resolving the ISIL threat

Hagel said it was clear in his conversations with the president, the prime minister and the defense minister in Ankara that resolving the immediate ISIL threat will involve good, responsible governance.

“That’s what President Obama has talked about in Iraq,” Hagel said, “and I'm looking forward to hearing fairly soon that that a new government under Mr. Abadi in Iraq has been formed. It's the anchor [by] which these countries will have opportunities to go forward.” Last night, several hours after the secretary’s remarks, Iraq's parliament did approve a new government headed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

Obama called the prime minister yesterday to congratulate him and the Iraqi people on the new government, according to a White House statement, and applauded the efforts of Abadi and other Iraqi leaders to form a new, broad-based government.

Fighting a common enemy

The president also underscored the need for the United States and Iraq to continue working closely with the international community to build on recent actions to counter the threat posed ISIL, and the Iraqi prime minister expressed his commitment to work with all communities in Iraq and with regional and international partners to strengthen Iraq’s capabilities to fight against the common enemy, the statement said.

Hagel said good governance is important in Iraq, “because the military part of all this is … important, but it's not the only part.” It includes economics and diplomacy, he added, “and … the ability for countries to govern themselves and find opportunities for all their people.”

REMARKS AT UNICEF EXECUTIVE BOARD SECOND REGULAR SESSION

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

U.S. Mission to the United Nations: Remarks at the UNICEF Executive Board Second Regular Session

09/09/2014 05:54 PM EDT

AS DELIVERED 

Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you Executive Director Lake for your remarks. Your statements always allow us to reflect on the impressive range of UNICEF’s truly essential work on behalf of the world’s children every day, often in the most arduous environments. We thank you and UNICEF staff worldwide for your dedication.

Over the last year, we have all seen the devastating impact of a rising scale of mounting and overarching crises – natural disasters, conflicts, and health emergencies, which take a particularly cruel toll on children. As many of these crises have become chronic, children in West Africa, the Central African Republic, the Philippines, Syria, South Sudan, Ukraine, the Middle East, Iraq and elsewhere have suffered unacceptable levels of violence, disruption, and vulnerability to which no child should be subject. UNICEF is vital for children in these kinds of conditions, providing water, medicines, nutrition, education, protection, and critical health services.

Let me particularly highlight the role UNICEF is playing in responding to the recent outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, which could affect almost 20,000 individuals and cause devastating secondary damage to public health infrastructure and economic development in the affected countries for years to come. UNICEF has the trust of local officials and communities and is in a rare position to make a significant difference in reducing suffering, as well as supporting efforts to mitigate secondary effects, and we believe it is critical for UNICEF to have continued flexibility to respond to such complex and evolving emergencies.

We are therefore grateful for UNICEF’s efforts to strengthen capacity for rapid and scaled humanitarian response, such:

Your nominating high caliber and an increasing number of candidates for the Humanitarian Coordinator Pool with tangible incentives for staff to pursue these positions;

Your taking on board the recommendations of evaluations to address gaps and ensure that actions taken are widely understood throughout the organisation;

And your taking the initiative to increase country office preparedness for cluster leadership in high-risk-contexts and improving capacity for cluster leadership.

We welcome any further moves that will ensure more consistent recruitment and training of right-skilled staff for large-scale emergencies, sufficient regular budget allocation to support changing scales of emergency response, better clarity on cluster roles and responsibilities, and increased reliance on joint work with other agencies.

Protection is obviously fundamental, and we welcome UNICEF’s embrace of the Rights Up Front agenda to improve protection of children in emergencies; your work to develop data-driven advocacy around protection; and your actions to improve prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence.

We also look forward to even stronger emphasis on disabilities in all UNICEF activities,with disaggegated assessments to help ensure that children with disabilities have equal access to humanitarian and other forms of assistance.

We also appreciate Director Lake’s candor about the strain on the organization from multiple emergencies, and his call not to lose focus in the face of calamity on the long-term investments we need to make in children’s health and well-being and the developmental work for which UNICEF has long been known.

You also rightly insist that we look with clear eyes at the underlying drivers of risk, that we redouble every effort to remedy them, with a determination not to fail. You have also outlined a compelling path that would help integrate UNICEF’s emergency and development work in a way that builds the resilience of families and communities at all levels. We agree that the divide between humanitarian and development work is artificial, and we should seek every opportunity to bridge it.

UNICEF’s developmental work is widely and deservedly praised: getting children the nutrients they need to survive and thrive; getting the most vulnerable children to school and ready to learn; promoting adequate water and sanitation, food, and health services; working with other agencies to help prevent teenage pregnancy and help young women get access to trained birth attendants; and partnering with countries to advance the Millennium Development goals.

We need you to continue this work and we appreciate UNICEF’s leadership as a strong advocate for children’s priorities in our continuing deliberations over the post-2015 development agenda.

Turning to management issues, we appreciate UNICEF’s continuing dedication to transparency and accountability, including your pioneering tools like the Monitoring Results for Equity System. You have been a leader in the UN system in this regard.

It’s worthy of note that MoRES has now been expanded from 30 countries in 2012 to 80 countries in 2013, enabling more strategic analysis of data and improved results, including through integration of MoRES into countries’ own planning and monitoring systems, which builds capacity, builds comparability, and improves data collection that can improve results.

With regard to resources, we are glad to note UNICEF’s strong financial situation, with total revenue reaching an all-time high of $4.9 billion, nearly $1 billion more than 2012. These figures are a testament to your hard work on partnerships but mainly to the integrity, enduring value, and urgent need for UNICEF’s work. We also note with appreciation that you have dedicated resources where they are needed, including the 27% of revenue this year devoted to children in emergencies.

Turning briefly to the issue of critical mass: in our view, critical mass should simply reflect all the resources necessary for agencies to deliver the results we have agreed in Strategic Plans and integrated budgets. Every dollar is critical for UNICEF’s life-saving work. In the Board’s deliberations, we think the recently agreed decision on critical mass at the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Board will provide a useful basis for moving forward.

Let me then just close in thanking you and all UNICEF staff once again for your leadership, dedication, and determination to champion the world’s most vulnerable children. Thank you.

TRANSPHERIC OZONE - SUMMERS OF SMOG

INTERCEPTOR MISSILE SYSTEM TESTED BY U.S.-ISRAEL

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

U.S., Israel Conduct Joint Test of Interceptor Missile System

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2014 – The joint testing of an improved interceptor missile system designed to counter future missile threats went as planned, Defense Department spokesman Army Col. Steven Warren told Pentagon reporters today.

“The Israel Missile Defense Organization of the Directorate of Defense Research and Development, and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, conducted an intercept test of the Arrow-2 interceptor missile today,” he said.

“The Arrow-2 is an operational system currently providing the Arrow Weapon System with an interceptor engagement capability,” Warren said.

Israel, the first allied nation to declare its intent to field a missile defense system as a national priority, has collaborated in the past with the MDA on similar testing of capabilities.

This test was conducted at an Israeli test range over the Mediterranean Sea, the colonel said, explaining the testing process.

“An Arrow-2 missile was launched and performed its flight sequence as planned,” Warren said. “The results are being analyzed by program engineers.”
“The test results have no effect on the Israeli operational system capability to cope with the existing threats in the region,” he said.

This test, Warren noted, was an improved version of the joint U.S.-Israel Arrow Weapon System, intended to counter future threats.

NASA VIDEO: ISS SCIENCE GARAGE - AEROPONICS IN SPACE

MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FALSIFYING DOCUMENTS TO AVOID CONTRIBUTIONS TO BENEFIT PLANS

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Falsifying Employee Retirement Plan Documents to Avoid Contributing to Benefit Plans

An owner of an electrical contracting company pleaded guilty today to falsifying disclosure documents required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), by intentionally under-reporting hours worked by employees to avoid contractually required contributions to employee benefit plans.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein of the District of Maryland, Special Agent in Charge Bill Jones of the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations for the Washington, D.C. Regional Office and Director Mark Machiz of the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration Philadelphia Regional Office made the announcement.

At the plea hearing, Michael E. Sewell, 50, of Street, Maryland, admitted that the union agreement between his company, MESCO Inc., and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 24 required him to make monthly contributions to seven employee health, welfare and pension benefit plans, and to file monthly remittance reports with the administrators of those plans.

Beginning in January 2009, however, Sewell began paying some wages earned by MESCO employees from the payroll of a second company he owned, Michael E. Sewell and Associates Inc., and failed to report those wages in monthly remittance reports to the administrator of the benefit plans. In addition, Sewell failed to make the required contributions to the employee benefit plans for those unreported wages. As a result, Sewell failed to contribute over $199,000 to the employee benefit plans. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 30, 2014.

This case was investigated by the Department of Labor and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Vincent Falvo Jr. of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Martin J. Clarke of the District of Maryland.

9/8/14: White House Press Briefing

PRESIDENT OBAMA VISITS STONEHENGE

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS ON FORMATION OF NEW GOVERNMENT IN IRAQ

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks on the Formation of the Iraqi Government

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

State Department Briefing Room

Washington, DC

September 8, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: Good afternoon, everybody. Tonight we mark what is unquestionably a major milestone for Iraq, and what President Obama has made clear will be a cornerstone of our efforts against ISIL.

Just a few hours ago, overcoming the obstacle of ethnic and sectarian divides, the Iraqi parliament approved a new and inclusive government, one that has the potential to unite all of Iraq’s diverse communities for a strong Iraq, a united Iraq, and to give those communities the chance to build the future that all Iraqis desire and deserve.

Now is the time for Iraq’s leaders to govern their nation with the same vision and sense of purpose that helped to bring this new government together in the first place. And in that effort, they should know the United States will stand shoulder to shoulder with the Iraqis as they implement their national plan to overcome the longstanding political and economic grievances that have for too long divided their country.

Tonight Iraq has a unity government. Tomorrow I will travel to the Middle East to continue to build the broadest possible coalition of partners around the globe to confront, degrade, and ultimately defeat ISIL.

On Wednesday, President Obama will lay out in even greater detail our coordinated global strategy against ISIL.

As we build this coalition, I want to underscore that almost every single country on Earth has a role to play in eliminating the ISIL threat and the evil that it represents. For some that will mean military assistance, both direct and in the form of training, arming, and advising, equipping. For some it will mean contributing to the desperately needed humanitarian relief effort. For some it will mean helping to identify, track, and cut off ISIL’s funding, and prevent the flow of foreign fighters. For still others it will mean demolishing the distortion of one of the world’s great peaceful religions and counteracting the propaganda ISIL uses to recruit new supporters. And for all it will mean publicly supporting the new inclusive government in Iraq.

Make no mistake; these are efforts that we and our partners around the globe are already taking. In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have poured millions into humanitarian assistance. The UAE has agreed to take on ISIL’s support networks and beat back against its militant ideological propaganda.

But we also have Canada sending over members of its military to help advise and assist Kurdish forces. We have Estonia and Albania providing military equipment. Our close allies in France and the United Kingdom are contributing in a number of important ways, including by providing military assistance and humanitarian airdrops.

And well beyond the region and Europe we have partners in places like Japan, Australia committing millions in humanitarian aid and Australia agreeing to take in thousands of refugees from Iraq and Syria, and to assist in our military efforts.

Our global, coordinated campaign with a global, coordinated coalition will be built not just in a matter of days or weeks, but it will be built to endure for the months and perhaps even the years to come.

Much more will be done at the UN General Assembly later this month, but our work together will grow and it will coalesce well beyond this month. What we’re working to accomplish will require hard work, sustained commitment, and unwavering focus from all of us. But we are clear that President Obama and I and the entire team absolutely understand this is something we must achieve, and we will be successful.

Thank you.

QUESTION: Secretary Kerry, they still have not filled the two – they still haven’t filled two security posts, sir.

SECRETARY KERRY: They will.

MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FALSIFYING EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATIONS TO ALLOW IMMIGRANTS INTO U.S.

FROM:  U.S.  JUSTICE DEPARTMENT  

Thursday, September 4, 2014

New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Operating Fraudulent Visa and Payroll Scheme to Facilitate Illegal Immigration

A New Jersey man pleaded guilty today to orchestrating an eight-year scheme to falsify employment certifications to facilitate the illegal entry of Indian immigrants into the United States and to filing a false tax return.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman of the District of New Jersey, Chief Richard Weber of Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and Director Bill A. Miller of the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) made the announcement.

Sandipkumar Patel, 41, of Edison, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls of the District of New Jersey to conspiring to defraud the United States and to filing a false federal income tax return.  Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 6, 2015.

According to court documents filed with the plea agreement, from 2001 until 2009, Patel sponsored the visa applications of Indian nationals by falsely claiming to provide employment for them in the United States.   Patel falsely certified on the visa applications that he would employ the immigrants in various technical fields at several New Jersey companies, thereby facilitating their illegal entry into the United States.   Over the course of the scheme, immigrants paid Patel thousands of dollars for the false certifications to fraudulently secure the visas.   To disguise the scheme, Patel issued payroll checks and other payroll forms.   Patel required the immigrants to return the money from the checks and also to reimburse him for his payroll tax expenses.   Patel used the fraudulent pay stubs and payroll checks to support false applications to extend the visas, and Patel charged the immigrants fees for the visa extensions.

As a result of falsely carrying the immigrant employees on his payrolls, Patel overstated his payroll expenses on his federal income tax returns by more than $1.4 million over four years, under-reporting his tax obligation by over $400,000 for those years.  

This case was investigated by the IRS-CI and DSS.   The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorneys Hope S. Olds and William H. Kenety of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Corcione of the District of New Jersey, with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.

NSF VIDEO: ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS: A SURPRISE FINDING IN EXECUTIVE FUNCTION

RECENT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PHOTOS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Misheff flies the American flag from the back of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter over southern Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Aug. 24, 2014. Pilots and crew chiefs fly American flags that are later presented with certificates to service members as part of aviation tradition. Misheff is a crew chief assigned to the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade.  U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Bryan Lewis. 

A landing craft departs the well deck of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown for an equipment onload at White Beach, Okinawa, Japan. The Germantown is forward-deployed and assigned to the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.   U.S. Petty Officer 2nd Class Amanda R. Gray.

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.  U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Melissa Wenger.

CFTC CHARGES COMPANY AND OWNERS WITH FRAUD AND MISAPPROPRIATION IN COMMODITY INVESTMENT POOL CASE

FROM:  U.S. COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION 

CFTC Charges Colorado Company R2 Capital Group, LLC, and its owners, Ryan Tomazin, Ryan Madigan, Randell A.Vest, RAST Investor Group, LLC, Madigan Enterprises, Inc., and Bulletproof Vest, Inc. with Fraud and Misappropriation

Defendants allegedly solicited more than $2.4 million from at least four participants in commodity investment pool

Federal court issues restraining orders freezing Defendants’ assets and protecting books and records

Washington, DC – The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today announced that on August 15, 2014, Chief Judge Marcia S. Krieger, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, issued a restraining Order freezing the assets of Defendants Ryan Tomazin of Stamford, Connecticut, Ryan Madigan of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Randell A. Vest of Fort Myers, Florida. The restraining Order was an expansion of the court’s August 7, 2014 restraining Order, which froze the assets of Tomazin’s, Madigan’s and Vest’s holding companies — Defendants RAST Investor Group, LLC, Madigan Enterprises, Inc., and Bulletproof Vest, Inc., respectively — and their Colorado company, Defendant R2 Capital Group LLC (R2 Capital). The restraining Orders also prohibit the Defendants from destroying or altering books and records.

Both restraining Orders arise from a CFTC federal court enforcement action filed on August 6, 2014, charging the Defendants with futures and foreign currency (forex) fraud, and misappropriation. The CFTC Complaint also charges the Defendants with illegally commingling funds received from pool participants with others’ funds by, among other things, transferring pool participant funds directly into the personal bank accounts of Tomazin, Madigan, Vest, their respective holding companies, and R2 Capital.

The Complaint alleges that since at least December 2009 through the present, R2 Capital — owned and operated by Tomazin, Madigan, and Vest, and their respective holding companies — solicited more than $2.4 million from at least four pool participants who invested in an investment pool operated by R2 Capital: R2 Commercial Capital Partners I L.P. (the Commercial Pool). The Commercial Pool traded forex and, later, futures contracts, including E-mini S&P 500 futures contracts and E-mini Dow futures contracts, according to the Complaint.

The Complaint alleges that Defendants falsely and fraudulently concealed from at least two pool participants that 1) Defendants had closed the forex account, 2) that Pool Participants’ funds had been transferred to a new account at a different Futures Commission Merchant, 3) that the Commercial Pool was no longer trading forex, and 4) that the Commercial Pool was now trading E-mini S&P 500 futures and securities products.

In addition, the Defendants allegedly misappropriated more than $1.2 million of pool funds by routinely illegally diverting substantial sums from the R2 Capital and Commercial Pool bank accounts to themselves and their Defendant holding companies until all but a few hundred dollars of the pool participant funds were dissipated. Defendants allegedly then spent these misappropriated funds on personal trips, private school tuition for their children, other investments, and miscellaneous personal expenses.

In its continuing litigation, the CFTC seeks civil monetary penalties, restitution, rescission, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, trading and registration bans, and permanent injunctions against further violations of the federal commodities laws, as charged.

The CFTC appreciates the assistance of the National Futures Association.

CFTC Division of Enforcement staff responsible members for this case are Sophia Siddiqui, Ken Koh, Dmitriy Vilenskiy, Luke Marsh, and Paul Hayeck.

U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR SEPTEMBER 8, 2014

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

CONTRACTS

DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY

Booz Allen Hamilton, of McLean, Virginia, is being awarded a $95,500,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide support services for countering weapons of mass destruction situational awareness, intelligence, operations, and data visualization support that enables the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to monitor global situational awareness of WMD threats and activities. Work will be performed at Fort Belvoir, and is expected to be completed in September 2022. Fiscal 2013 research and development funds in the amount of $1,690,000 are being obligated on the first task order. This contract was a competitive acquisition, with three bids received. The contracting activity is Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (DTRA1-14-D-0016).

NAVY

Granite Construction Company Guam, Watsonville, California, is being awarded a maximum amount $75,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for paving construction services at U.S. government shore-based facilities in Guam. The work to be performed provides for the construction, alteration, repair, and/or maintenance of asphalt concrete roads, streets, highways, alleys, parking areas, and their associated facility, such as but not limited to concrete sidewalks, curbs and gutters, guardrails, U-ditch, drainage pipe, traffic striping, pavement marking, and related work. Work will include cold milling, excavation, embankment grading or subbase and base course, compaction, density test, bituminous surface treatment, seal coating, asphalt concrete paving, adjustment of existing utilities and structures and other related work. Work will be performed in Guam, and is expected to be completed by September 2019. Fiscal 2014 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $25,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with three proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Marianas, Guam, is the contracting activity (N40192-14-D-2830).
AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Maryland, is being awarded a $27,316,800 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to produce AN/GLM -11 (V) 1 and (V) 2 universal test sets and provide engineering services and program and configuration management in support of the AN/GLM-11 series. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by September 2017. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $3,092,939 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with FAR 6.302-1(a)(2) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00174-14-D-0002).
A&D GC, Inc.,* Santee, California, is being awarded $13,525,000 for firm-fixed-price task order 0014 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-09-D-1658) to repair and restore Bachelor Enlisted Quarters 520420 at the Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton. Work includes, but is not limited to, analysis and updates to bring the building up to current seismic requirements; removal and disposal of hazardous materials including asbestos, lead, and mold; replace damaged wall, floor, double hung windows, and ceilings finishes. Areas affected by repair shall be in compliance with anti-terrorism/force protection, fire suppression, seismic, accessibility, and leadership in energy and environmental design requirements. The task order also contains one planned modification, which if exercised, would increase cumulative task order value to $15,325,000. Work will be performed in Oceanside, California, and is expected to be completed by March 2016. Fiscal 2014 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) contract funds in the amount of $13,525,000 are being obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.

RQ-BERG JV, Carlsbad, California, is being awarded a maximum amount $9,653,651 to increase the dollar value of task order 0007 under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N62473-10-D-5482) for the complete restoration and repairs to fire damaged electrical and communication distribution systems on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Seal Beach Detachment Fallbrook. The work to be performed includes replacement of fire damaged poles, wire and equipment to restore power and communication services to: Area 33; Ranges 102 and 103 (Wilcox Range Area); Area 32 (including but not limited to the 320937 Reservoir Lift Station); Area 43 (including but not limited to Sewage Treatment Plant 3 at Sewer Treatment Facility, fire station, pistol range, Basilone Road, the chlorination station and the Waste Disposal Facility); the Northern Area Range Control Communications Tower and Range 314 south/east of Area 62; NWS Seal Beach Detachment, Fallbrook (including but not limited to Romeo Magazine, Building 350, old housing area, sewer lift station at Building 332, Building 336, Building 301 and Building 231). After award of this modification, the total cumulative task order value will be $9,653,651. Work will be performed in Oceanside, California, and is expected to be completed by May 2015. Fiscal 2014 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) contract funds in the amount of $5,623,767 are being obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.

ARMY

Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $43,293,745 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for services to support the Royal Saudi Land Forces. Services in the contract include consulting, intensive management, logistics support, and contracting support within the United States, for the Royal Saudi Land Forces. In addition, an office will be established in Saudi Arabia for local purchasing and local hires to sustain the fleet of Abrams tanks purchased and sustained through the foreign military sales program. Fiscal 2014 other funds in the amount of $15,000,000 were obligated at the time of award. Work will be performed in Saudi Arabia with an estimated completion date of Sept. 8, 2017. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with one received. This contract involves foreign military sales to Saudi Arabia. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-14-C-0048).
Carnegie Robotics LLC,* Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $22,783,433 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for an autonomous mine detection system that is being developed to provide the war fighter with capability to detect, mark and neutralize explosive hazards in support of the full spectrum of military operations. Fiscal 2013 and 2014 research, development, test and evaluation (Army) funds in the amount of $14,638,737 were obligated at the time of the award. Work will be performed in Woburn, Massachusetts ($3,236,616; 14 percent); King of Prussia, Pennsylvania ($4,113,115; 18 percent); and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ($15,433,702; 68 percent), with an estimated completion date of March 1, 2018. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with three received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-14-C-0075).

KRSW Joint Venture*, Boise, Idaho, was awarded a $22,469,577 firm-fixed-price contract for repairs and improvement to Mountain Home Air Force Base Runway 12/30, Taxiway Alpha and connector taxiways, due to deteriorating pavement conditions identified in the airfield pavement evaluation. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $22,469,577 were obligated at the time of the award. Work will be performed in Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, with estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2015. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with four received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle, Washington, is the contracting activity (W912DW-14-C-0022).

Birdon America, Inc.*, Denver, Colorado, was awarded a $9,679,841 modification (P00005) to firm-fixed-price contract W56HZV-14-C-0015 to exercise the government format technical data package option with additional rights for the bridge erection boats. Fiscal 2014 other funds in the amount of $9,679,841 were obligated at the time of the award. Work will be performed in Denver, Colorado, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 23, 2016. U.S. Army Contracting Command – Tank and Automotive, Warren, Michigan is the contracting activity.

Highland Engineering,* Inc., Howell, Michigan, was awarded an $8,500,000 indefinite- delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the production and delivery of military working dogs worldwide deployable kennel systems and logistics support documentation. Work and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 7, 2017. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with three received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Alexandria, Virginia, is the contracting activity (W909MY-14-D-0012).
*Small business

A NEW VOLCANIC ISLAND

Credit:  Photograph Landsat 8 - OLI.

FROM:  NASA 

Still Huffing and Puffing

Nine months after a new island broke through the surface of the western Pacific Ocean, the volcanic eruption at Nishino-shima continues. The tiny new volcanic island (“Niijima” in Japanese) merged into Nishino-shima last winter and continued to grow. Steady flows of lava are enlarging the merged island, which is now 1.39 square kilometers (0.54 square miles).  Part of the Ogasawara chain, the island lies about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) south of Tokyo at 27°14’ North, 140°52’ East.

According to observers, lava is still flowing on the east side of the island at a rate of 200,000 cubic meters per day and could eventually lead to some instability. “If lava continues to mount on the eastern area, it will be deposited on steep slopes,” wrote University of Tokyo scientist Fukashi Maeno in an email to Earth Observatory. “This could cause instability on the slope, so a partial collapse of the island may occur. We need to carefully observe the growth process.”
After flights on August 26 (photo below), Japan Coast Guard officials told local media that there is also a mound of congealed lava inside a volcanic vent on the north side of the island. The officials suggested such a mound could “seal off passages of magma and raise interior pressure if it continues to grow, resulting in a large-scale explosion.” Though no such eruption is imminent, the Coast Guard warned mariners to keep their distance from the island.

NASA VIDEO: THE DATA DOWNPOUR

SECRETARY HAGEL COMMENTS ON GEORGIA'S STATUS AS ENHANCED NATO PARTNER

FROM:   U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Right:  Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is escorted past an honor cordon by Georgian Minister of Defense Irakli Alasania during a ceremony welcoming Hagel to the defense ministry in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sept. 7, 2014. DoD Photo by Glenn Fawcett. 

Hagel: U.S. Backs Georgia’s New NATO Standing, Boosts Defense Support
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel made his first official visit to Georgia today following his participation at the NATO Summit in Wales, meeting with government and military leaders and congratulating the U.S. military partner on its new status as an enhanced NATO partner.
Hagel began his 16th international trip Sept. 3; a six-day visit that included participation in the NATO Summit in Wales last week and meetings with government and military leaders in Georgia and Turkey.

Meeting with the defense minister

This morning, after an official welcoming ceremony at the Ministry of Defense in Tbilisi, Hagel met with Defense Minister Irakli Alasania. During a press conference that followed the meeting, both reaffirmed their nations’ close defense partnership and the shared goal to build even stronger military ties.
“I also expressed the gratitude of the American people for the … significant contributions Georgia has made to operations in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Over more than a decade of fighting together, our two militaries have forged a deep and enduring friendship and a strong and vibrant partnership,” Hagel said.
In 2012, the U.S. and Georgian presidents agreed to an enhanced defense cooperation program to accelerate Georgia's defense reforms and modernization, increase Georgia's level of NATO interoperability and improve the nation's defense capabilities.

As a result of the agreement, the United States and Georgia have increased cooperative training events and dialogues among subject matter experts.
Because Georgia is a committed and dependable U.S. partner, the defense secretary said, the Defense Department fully supports Georgia's defense modernization efforts and will continue to help the nation fulfill its Euro-Atlantic aspirations -- including membership in NATO.

New NATO status

Hagel and Alasania discussed how the substantial package of measures for Georgia that NATO leaders endorsed at the Wales summit will strengthen the country’s relationship with NATO, Hagel added. These include expanded defense capacity-building efforts, more joint training exercises and enhanced interoperability capabilities.

Georgia was one of five nations to achieve the new elevated status of NATO enhanced-opportunities partners, and Hagel said the United States would make a substantial contribution to the new alliance effort and to continuing bilateral U.S.-Georgia capacity-building efforts.

“Today the minister and I discussed the necessary steps for Georgia to acquire the U.S. military helicopters that they have requested,” Hagel said, adding that Georgia's new status would help the nation advance its preparations toward NATO membership.

Russia

Hagel said the deepening ties between NATO and Georgia are especially important given the “dangerous and irresponsible actions of President [Vladimir] Putin toward Ukraine.”

Putin’s illegal annexation of Crimea, which the United States does not recognize, the secretary noted, “and the ongoing military campaign that Russia is mounting in eastern Ukraine, pose grave threats to regional stability, as had its actions inside Georgia's internationally recognized borders.”

The United States continues to call on Russia to fully withdraw its forces from Georgia's borders, Hagel said, adding that the United States welcomes the restraint Georgia has shown in this situation.

“Russia's actions here and in Ukraine pose a long-term challenge that the United States and our allies take very seriously. But President Putin's actions have also brought the United States and our friends in Europe, including Georgia, closer together,” Hagel said.

Battling terrorism

“We will need a close partnership to counter another key security challenge -- the growing threat of violent extremism,” the secretary added.

Hagel said he and Alasania discussed ways Georgia could play an important role in a partnership with the United States, Iraq and coalition partners to destroy the ISIL threat.

“This is a galvanizing moment for NATO and our partners,” Hagel added. “I believe that the summit in Wales put us on the right path to respond to President Putin's challenge over the long term, as well as the threat of ISIL.”

After the press conference, Hagel made his way to a meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, stopping first at Heroes Square to lay a wreath.

Heroes Square

Heroes Square, built in 2009, honors those who died protecting Georgia’s territory. Etched into the main monument, a tall pillar of marble and methacrylate, are the names -- about 4,000 in total -- of Georgian military cadets who died fighting the Red Army in 1921, the leaders of an anti-Soviet revolt in 1924, and those who died during military actions in Abkhazia in 1992-1993 and in the five-day war in South Ossetia in August 2008.

Across the street, facing the obelisk, an eternal flame is flanked by an honor guard of two soldiers.

Afterward, Hagel met with the prime minister at the State Chancellery and later in the day at the President’s Palace with Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili.

Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby provided readouts of the meetings.

In his meeting with the Georgian president, Hagel thanked Margvelashvili for his leadership and for the contributions Georgia continues to make in Afghanistan and other peacekeeping missions.

Georgia in Afghanistan

Georgian armed forces members have served in Afghanistan since 2004. The first full Georgian unit deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. Georgia is the largest non-NATO troop contributor to the International Security Assistance Force, with more than 10,000 soldiers having operated with Marines in Helmand Province.
To date, 29 Georgian soldiers have died and 276 have been wounded during their service in Afghanistan. Beyond 2014, Georgia has agreed to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Security Forces and has pledged financial assistance.
Meeting with the defense minister

Kirby said Hagel also praised the efforts of Defense Minister Alasania in helping the two militaries maintain a strong defense relationship, and reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to working with Georgia on a range of bilateral and alliance initiatives.

The two leaders discussed a host of regional security issues, the admiral said, including Russia's continued aggression inside Ukraine and the threat its actions pose to the regional and international order, and the threat posed by ISIL in the Middle East.

Common concern

One concern was common to Hagel’s meeting with Margvelashvili, and earlier in the day with the prime minister, Kirby said; the problem of foreign fighters flowing into Syria to join extremist groups and the threat those fighters represent to their homelands.

Hagel updated Margvelashvili and Gharibashvili on U.S. efforts to build a coalition of nations willing to contribute to continued operations inside Iraq and against ISIL, Kirby added. And the secretary thanked the Georgian leaders for their willingness to consider ways to support that initiative.

“In both his meetings this afternoon,” the admiral said, “Secretary Hagel pledged to continue the close dialogue and cooperation between our two countries.”

DOD VIDEO: HUGE DRUG BUST FOR THE COAST GUARD

PRESIDENT OBAMA MEETS WITH PRESIDENT EDROGAN OF TURKEY

U.S. CONGRATULATES PEOPLE OF MACEDONIA ON THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Macedonia's National Day

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

September 5, 2014

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Macedonia as you celebrate your Independence Day on September 8th.

Macedonia's diverse population is a source of strength that continues to offer ideas, energy, and drive to move Macedonia and the region forward.

The United States proudly supported Macedonia's development and transition over the last 23 years. We remain committed to helping Macedonia strengthen the rule of law, promote media freedom, and build strong democratic foundations for an inclusive, multi-ethnic society.

We celebrate all that the people of Macedonia have achieved since your independence. We pledge to continue our work together toward a democratic, secure, and prosperous future.