Menands man pleads guilty in massive Ponzi scheme

BUFFALO, N.Y. - A 53-year-old Menands resident pleaded guilty on August 19 to mail fraud and filing a fraudulent tax return following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) led investigation.
Christopher Bass operated a high-yield investment scheme in which investors were allegedly defrauded of their investment funds. According to court documents, from 2007 through early this year, Bass promoted, managed and directed the fraudulent investment program involving the purchase of securities to investors throughout the United States, using addresses in Troy, Menands and Albany, N.Y.

Between January 2007 and August 2009, Bass solicited and accepted more than $5.5 million from more than 250 investors, establishing accounts on behalf of each investor, subsequently using the majority to pay for his personal expenses and to repay investors at least $1.25 million who demanded a return of their initial investment. He also used their investments to pay for expenses incurred in operating the scheme, pay for the rent for office locations in Albany, New York City and Irvine, Calif., as well as to pay the rent for a luxury apartment in New York City.

The investigation was conducted by ICE's Office of Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Bass remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshal's Service and is scheduled to be sentenced in December 2010.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE is a 21^st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit www.ICE.gov. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423.

Ex-CBP employee receives 20 years in drug, alien smuggling, corruption case

EL PASO, Texas - A federal judge sentenced a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employee to 20 years in federal prison Aug. 26 after she pleaded guilty to drug smuggling, alien smuggling and official corruption charges.
The sentence was the culmination of an investigation by U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and CBP Internal Affairs.
Martha Alicia Garnica, 43, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge David Briones, who also ordered her to pay a $5,000 fine, and be placed under supervised release for four years after she completes her prison term.
Garnica, a former CBP technician and CBP officer, pleaded guilty May 14 to all of the charges returned by a federal grand jury on Feb. 3, including conspiring to import more than 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of marijuana into the United States, conspiring to smuggle illegal aliens, bribing a public official and importing a controlled substance.
According to the indictment:

• Since April 2009, Garnica conspired with others to import into the United States from Mexico more than 100 kilograms of marijuana.
• From Oct. 1, 2009 until Oct. 11, 2009, Garnica conspired to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States from Mexico.
• On Oct. 11, 2009, Garnica offered a $500 bribe to a CBP officer to allow an illegal alien to be smuggled into the United States.
• On Nov. 7, 2009, Garnica paid a $3,500 bribe to a CBP officer to allow a controlled substance to be imported into the United States.
• On Nov. 17, 2009, Garnica offered a $1,500 bribe to a CBP officer to allow a controlled substance to be imported into the United States.
• On Nov. 8, 2009, Garnica knowingly imported marijuana into the United States from Mexico.

Garnica's co-defendants are serving federal prison terms for their roles in the smuggling ring.
On July 7, 2010, Carlos Francisco Ramirez-Rosalez, a Mexican national living illegally El Paso, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to import over 100 kilograms of marijuana into the United States and to paying a $3,500 bribe to an undercover officer.
On June 4, 2010, Edgar Ely Meraz of El Paso was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service after pleading guilty to importing about 162 pounds of marijuana into the United States.
On July 20, 2010, Arturo Leal Rosalez of Cd. Juarez, Mexico, was sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to importing about 162 pounds of marijuana into the United States.
The final co-defendant, Hugo Alberto Flores Colmenero, was murdered Feb. 24, 2010 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Juanita Fielden, Western District of Texas, prosecuted this case.

-- ICE --

Photos are courtesy DHS and  all individuals are innocent until proven guilty ion a court of law.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit www.ICE.gov. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423.

 

DOD to Hold Hall of Heroes Induction Ceremony

Chief Master Sgt. Richard Etchberger will be inducted into the Hall of Heroes on Sept. 22 at 10 a.m. EDT, in the Pentagon Auditorium  Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy and Etchberger's family will participate in the ceremony.
President Barack Obama is expected to present the Medal of Honor to Etchberger's family at a ceremony at the White House on Sept. 21, 2010.
On Sept. 3, 2010 the White House announced Etchberger will be posthumously awarded the nation's highest military honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on March 11, 1968.

Arizona CBP Officers Seize Record High $12.5 Million Worth of Drugs

San Luis, Ariz. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Luis Port of Entry have been extremely busy over the last four days. In the history of the San Luis, Ariz. port of entry a combined seizure of heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine had not been encountered until yesterday.


On Sept. 16, two women with U.S. citizenship applied for admission into the U.S. while driving a Ford F-150 pick up truck. The primary CBP officer referred the women to the vehicle secondary lot for further inspection due to discrepancies found during the interview process.





Once in the secondary lot, CBP officers requested the assistance of a narcotic detector dog which alerted them to the rear area of the truck. Upon closer examination, the officers discovered 54 packages of various drugs ranging from heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine in the walls of the truck bed. The approximate weights of the drugs seized were more than 34 pounds of heroin, more than 20 pounds of methamphetamine, and more than 60 pounds of cocaine. The combined estimated street value of the various drugs is $5,813,000.





A second seizure of hard narcotics occurred on Sept. 14, when a 34-year-old man attempted admission into the U.S. with more than 83 pounds of cocaine. The CBP officers discovered the packages of cocaine concealed in the gas tank of the vehicle he was driving after a narcotic dog alerted them to the area. The estimated street value of the cocaine is $3,795,000.





On the same day, a second man, also 34-years-old attempted to smuggle more than two pounds of cocaine into the country as a pedestrian. The CBP officers noticed a bulge on the man’s body as he attempted to walk through the inspection process. During the search, the officers found one package of cocaine hidden around his waistline. The estimated street value of the cocaine is $110,000.





CBP officers also found marijuana in three separate cases. The first case occurred on Sept. 13, when a 22-year-old was found attempting to smuggle approximately 60 pounds of marijuana in all four mounted tires of the vehicle he was driving. The second and third cases occurred on Sept. 15 when a 21-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman attempted to smuggle marijuana into the country. The man was also found to have packages concealed in all four tires of the vehicle he was driving. The woman was found to have packages concealed in the gas tank of the vehicle she was driving. The combined street value of the marijuana is $2,820,000.





All individuals were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the drugs were seized.





In addition, the CBP officers also arrested two individuals for attempting to leave the country while driving a stolen vehicle. The two men were turned over to the San Luis, Ariz. Police Department.





U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Detainee Transfer Announced: Guantanamo Bay

Detainee Transfer Announced
The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of two detainees from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the government of Germany.

As directed by the President’s Jan. 22, 2009 executive order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of these cases. As a result of that review, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, the two detainees were approved for transfer by unanimous consent among all the agencies involved in the task force. In accordance with Congressionally-mandated reporting requirements, the administration informed Congress of its intent to transfer these individuals at least 15 days before their transfer.



The two detainees were transferred to the government of Germany for resettlement in the states of Hamburg and Rheinland-Pfalz. Their identities are being withheld at the request of the German government for privacy reasons. The United States is grateful to the government of Germany for its willingness to support U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The United States coordinated with the government of Germany to ensure the transfer took place under appropriate security measures.



Since 2002, more than 600 detainees have departed Guantanamo Bay for other destinations, including Albania, Algeria, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Bermuda, Cape Verde, Chad, Denmark, Egypt, Georgia, France, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Palau, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Somalia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom and Yemen.



Today, 174 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay.

Motion Center News at 5PM Eastern

Motion Center News at 5PM (Eastern)
U.S. and China to enhance information sharing

ICE Director John Morton and China's Economic Crimes Investigation Department Director General Meng Qing-feng sign a letter of intent to strengthen investigative cooperation.

Additional photos from this event are available by clicking here. (Photo Courtesy: DHS)

BEIJING - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Chinese Ministry of Public Security Economic Crimes Investigation Department signed a letter of intent on Tuesday that will strengthen investigative cooperation between both countries.
ICE Director John Morton and China's Economic Crimes Investigation Department Director General Meng Qing-feng signed the document during a formal signing ceremony in Beijing.



Both nations believe cooperation in fighting intellectual property rights crimes will benefit both the United States and Chinese law enforcement agencies. ICE's Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and China's Economic Crimes Investigation Department intend to continue cooperation through the ICE-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center.

"I would like to thank Vice Minister of the Ministry of Public Security Meng Hong-wei and Director General of the Economic Crimes Investigation Department Meng Qing-feng for agreeing to strengthen cooperation on areas of mutual concern," said ICE Director Morton. "This is the first trip to China for an ICE director. The meetings between both countries have been productive and I look forward to building on our law enforcement relationship."

The ICE Office of International Affairs is responsible for enhancing national security by conducting and coordinating international investigations. With agents in over 65 locations around the world, the ICE Office of International Affairs represents DHS' broadest footprint beyond our borders. ICE attaché offices work with foreign counterparts to identify and combat transnational criminal organizations before they threaten the United States.

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Joint Forces Must Maintain Balance, Admiral Says
By Lisa Daniel American Forces Press Service
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.,  - The success of joint forces depends on their ability to balance competing interests – from preparing for strategic risks to air, land, sea and cyber power, to the work-life balance of servicemembers, the director of the Joint Staff said here today.



"In joint doctrine, balance permeates everything," Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney said in a keynote speech to the Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference 2010 here. Gortney was asked to fill in for Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after Mullen's granddaughter was born yesterday.
"We need to have the right mix of training, personnel, and equipment," Gortney said.
Flexibility is key, the admiral added, because history has shown it's impossible to pinpoint military needs of the future. That's especially true today, he said, due to evolving threats in cyber warfare and from quickly emerging militaries in places such as China.
"If history has taught us anything, it's that the next war will bear little resemblance to the past," Gortney said. "There is no doubt that 15 years from now, we'll talk about how we got it wrong in 2010."
The focus on land forces in today's wars could turn to air and sea power for the next conflicts, Gortney said. Concepts for joint air-sea battles are a natural transition for the future, he said.
The Air Force has a proud history of innovation and hardware expertise that it must continue so it can "be ready to respond to needs not even imagined," he said.
Coordination also is critical to joint forces, as is relationship-building, said Gortney, who commanded U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, the U.S. 5th Fleet and the 26-nation Combined Maritime Forces in the Arabian Gulf. But, he added, "relationships are not built overnight, and they're not built through e-mails and tweets."
Gortney said tough decisions will have to be made while defense budgets flatline for the foreseeable future.
"The downward pressure on the defense budget is real," he said. "We're in a position of having more missions than stuff, so low priority missions are going to suffer. We have to figure out the right balance and figure out where to take risks."

The most important area to strike a balance is not in equipment or training, Gortney said, but in the lifestyles of servicemembers. And in a compliment to the audience, he said the Air Force leads the services in allowing work-life balance.

"The Air Force, hands down, does a better job of it than any service," he said. "It's why I live at Bolling Air Force Base."

Lynn Details Threats to U.S., NATO Cybersecurity

By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service
BRUSSELS, Belgium, Sept. 15, 2010 – If it’s not protected, the great technological superiority the United States and NATO enjoy also could be a great vulnerability, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said here today.
Speaking at an event sponsored by the Security and Defense Agenda, Lynn said information technology is the basis for much of the military capabilities fielded by the United States and other NATO countries, and that all nations need to invest in cybersecurity.
“[Information systems] provide the kind of real-time situational awareness, the sophisticated command and control, the precision targeting – all the elements that have made it very difficult for any adversary or set of adversaries to challenge us directly in any military confrontation,” he said.
But that strength and reliance also can prove to be a liability, he said. Adversaries can challenge the NATO countries indirectly by compromising information technology. This was brought home in 2008, when a foreign intelligence agency got an infected flash drive into a classified Defense Department computer network in the Middle East. “Malware was loaded on our classified network, and … our systems were compromised,” Lynn said.
The response was called Operation Buckshot Yankee, and it entailed remedial efforts to clean up the spillage, Lynn said. The incident and the subsequent operation led to a change in thinking in the department toward the cybersecurity threat, he added
Officials realized that cyber attacks or cyber espionage will be increasingly a preferred way for enemies to confront the American military, the deputy secretary said.
“It’s relatively low-cost,” said he explained. “You don’t have to invest in fleets of … tanks, planes [or] ships to have a very significant capability to challenge even a sophisticated adversary.”
More than 100 foreign intelligence agencies are trying to hack into Defense Department systems on a daily basis, he said.
Cyber attacks are attractive because of the difficulty of determining who actually launched them, Lynn said. A virus or malware travels at the speed of light, and pinpointing exactly who launched an attack can take months to decipher, if it’s possible at all, he added.
This type of attack also breaks down the strategy of deterrence to an extent, the deputy secretary said. The old idea was that if an adversary launched an attack, the United States would launch a devastating attack in return.
“Where you have difficulties with attribution, it’s hard to guarantee assured retaliation, because you don’t know who to retaliate against,” he explained. “Also, as the set of adversaries we face has shifted to more non-governments – terrorists such as al-Qaida – even if you determine the origin of the attack, they might not have assets that you can truly hold at risk.”
This means the Defense Department has to shift from retaliation to denying an enemy benefit from an attack by beefing up Cybersecurity, Lynn said. Still, he added, this is difficult, because attackers have the advantage.
The Internet is open by its nature, the deputy secretary said, as Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency scientists designed it to facilitate the free and fast flow of information.
“It was not designed with security in mind,” he said. “As defenders, we have to defend every portal. As attackers, a single failure can gain entrance to the networks and allow them to compromise those networks.”
This calls for a different approach to cybersecurity, because no country can hide its networks behind a cyber Maginot Line of firewalls and intrusion devices, the deputy secretary said. “We need a strategy that can deny the benefit to the attackers despite the numerous advantages that the attackers have,” Lynn said.
All of this is further complicated by the fact that attacks are not limited to the Internet.
“You have to look at the supply chain,” Lynn said. Counterfeit chips and malicious code are threats, and they can be extremely difficult to find and fix, he explained.
Lynn said any cybersecurity strategy really has to include nonmilitary systems as well as military systems. The infrastructure networks – the power grid, the transportation networks, the financial networks – are critical in their own right to national security, he said
The deputy secretary argued for a flexible and fast cybersecurity system.
“I think you have to be modest about your ability to predict about where the threat is going to come from,” he said. “The theory is helpful, but not very predictive.”
He said there have been many conjectures, but no one has been particularly good about pinpointing the adversary or what form an attack will take, even in conventional warfare.
“When you look at a strategy, you have to adopt one that is flexible and adaptable in its own right,” he said, “because of the difficulty in predicting the threat and where this threat will appear.”

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Dundas West Streetscape Improvement ** Final Public Meeting **

Dundas West is a vibrant street where many cultures and languages meet. The City of Toronto is planning an exciting new design of this street between University Avenue and Bathurst Street.
Please join us for our final public meeting...
Dundas Street West Streetscape Improvement

** Final Public Meeting **
Monday, September 27 - 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Alexandra Park Community Centre

105 Grange Court (south of Dundas St, west of Spadina Ave)
Come to this meeting to see the final concept plan for the street. Share your thoughts and ideas.

DOD Identifies Army Casualty Spc. Timothy L. Johnson, Randolph, N.Y

DOD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Timothy L. Johnson, 24, of Randolph, N.Y., died Sept. 16 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device at Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Motion Center News at 4PM: Joint Statement on New START Treaty more...

Motion Center News at 4 PM Eastern


TOP NEWS:

Joint Statement by Secretary Gates and Secretary Clinton on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Approval of the New Start Treaty
“We applaud the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s strong bipartisan vote today to approve the New START Treaty.
“If ratified, this agreement will advance some of our most critical national security objectives. It will provide stability and predictability between the world’s two leading nuclear powers, reducing the number of nuclear weapons held by the United States and Russia to a level not seen since the 1950s while retaining a safe and effective deterrent. It will restore crucial inspection and verification mechanisms that ceased when the original START agreement expired last year, allowing U.S. inspectors back inside Russian nuclear weapons silos. And it will help keep nuclear material from falling into the hands of terrorists or rogue regimes.

“The committee’s vote today continues a decades-long tradition of senators from both parties providing advice and consent on arms control accords. We especially appreciate the leadership of Chairman Kerry and Ranking Member Lugar in undertaking a thorough review of the treaty and developing the resolution of ratification that led to today’s successful vote.

“Like previous arms control treaties, the New START Treaty deserves broad bipartisan support and prompt ratification by the full Senate. We urge Senators to act quickly and approve this treaty.”

DOD Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for August 2010

The Department of Defense announced today its recruiting and retention statistics for the active and reserve components for August 2010.
- Active Component.
- Recruiting. All four active services met or exceeded their accession goals for August 2010.
- Army -- 6,608 accessions with a goal of 6,524; 101 percent
- Navy -- 2,952 accessions with a goal of 2,952; 100 percent
- Marine Corps -- 4,309 accessions with a goal of 4,309; 100 percent
- Air Force -- 3,043 accessions with a goal of 3,043; 100 percent

- Retention. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force retention is near or above the fiscal year-to-date goals for the first 11 months of the fiscal year.

- Recruiting. Four of the six Reserve components intentionally did not make 100 percent of their August recruiting goals to stay within end strength constraints.

• - Army National Guard -- 4,367 accessions with a goal of 6,292; 69 percent
• - Army Reserve -- 1,786 accessions with a goal of 1,792; 99 percent
• - Navy Reserve -- 714 accessions with a goal of 714; 100 percent
• - Marine Corps Reserve -- 309 accessions with a goal of 541; 57 percent
• - Air National Guard -- 523 accessions with a goal of 576; 91 percent
• - Air Force Reserve -- 824 accessions with a goal of 521; 158 percent
• - Attrition. Losses in all Reserve components are within acceptable limits.

 Family Matters Blog: Caseys Voice Concerns for Military Families

By Elaine Wilson

American Forces Press Service



WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2010 - I've heard many leaders discuss the need for better military family support, but I've heard few do it with the same passion and candor as the Army chief of staff and his wife.
I was lucky enough to catch Gen. George W. Casey Jr., and his wife, Sheila, speaking to an audience about their concerns for military families during the 2010 Defense Forum in Washington, D.C.
After nine years of war, it's clear the nation will be engaged in conflict for some time to come, Gen. Casey said, but less evident is what effect that long-term combat will have on servicemembers and their families.
"We have to try to figure out the cumulative effects -- how they will manifest themselves after nine years of war," he said. "We have to work our way through that."
The past nine years have left a lasting impact on the nation and its military, Gen. Casey said, citing statistics to drive the point home. More than 3,200 soldiers have died, leaving more than 20,000 family members behind. More than 27,000 soldiers have been wounded, with 7,500 of those soldiers severely wounded and requiring long-term care. Since 2000, the Army has diagnosed about 100,000 soldiers with traumatic brain injury, and since 2003, about 25,000 have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress.
"I honestly think those numbers are probably low," the general said. "We wrestle hard with reducing the stigma of seeking care."
Gen. Casey called for better support of soldiers to build their resilience. It takes 24 to 36 months to recover from a combat deployment, he said. Yet, the Army is deploying soldiers at a rate of one year deployed and one year at home. The Army's objective is to have two years at home between deployments, but that won't come to fruition till 2012, he said.
A rapid deployment pace and the current lack of "dwell time" at home have accelerated the cumulative effects of war, Casey said, and his wife agreed.
"Our soldiers are stretched and they're stressed," Mrs. Casey said. "And parents, spouses and children of our troops are all feeling the stress."
Mrs. Casey said she's concerned for the family unit, especially young families who don't have enough time to build the bonds that will sustain them, but yet are battered with continual deployments.
"I worry about the long-term effect this is having on our children," she said.
The general's wife called for more services and support to stay in front of the problem. "If we wait until they're back," she said, "we're not going to be able to react fast enough for them."
She also called for increased support for families with the added challenge of caring for wounded warriors. The support the nation owes these warriors and their caregivers is "significant," she said.
To bolster this support, the Army is putting considerable efforts into developing its behavioral health force, the general said.
Gen. Casey highlighted several Army support programs, including the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, which equips soldiers with the tools to build resilience. The program features an online survey that directs those with needs to online self-help modules. More than 800,000 people have taken the program's online survey since October, he noted.
While progress has been made, much remains to be done, Gen. Casey acknowledged.
The Caseys both praised military members and their families for their resilience in the face of the "new normal" of multiple combat tours. "Our troops and their families have managed remarkably well," the general said. "You can be extremely proud of the men and women, not only of the Army, but all of our armed forces."
I'm grateful for leaders like the general and his wife. People like them help bring light to the challenges our military families face.

North Pacific Coast Guard Forum 2010


Thursday, September 16, 2010

Written by: CDR Glynn Smith

Motion Center Editor's Note: Find More Information and Comment Section HERE:

A quick look at the northern half of the Pacific Ocean on a map or globe shows one of the largest stretches of open-ocean in the world. The vast expanses of our oceans can be a daunting prospect for a mariner in distress, but also provide a potential advantage for a poacher engaged in illegal fishing.
So how does a coast guard type organization provide search and rescue and law enforcement coverage in such a vast body of water? For this region of the world, it is done in part through the maritime services of the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum.
The forum, an international maritime coordinating body, is meeting this week in Vancouver, Canada, with U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp attending as part of the United States delegation.
Japan Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Hisayasu Suzuki and U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp sign a bilateral agreement at the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

Created in 2000, the Forum promotes information sharing and fosters international cooperative efforts relating to safeguarding international maritime commerce, stemming illegal drug trafficking, protecting fisheries, and deterring human smuggling.



The Forum membership includes coast guards and other maritime organizations from Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the United States. Annually, member organizations from each of these nations meet in executive session to focus on issues affecting the North Pacific Ocean, participate in training and exercises, and conduct joint operations at sea.



“Each member organization provides an important piece to a challenging puzzle,” Papp said. “Independently, we cannot solve the problem, but together we can build a comprehensive solution.”



Now considered a model example of maritime cooperation, the Forum is built on a simple formula: all members voluntarily work equally toward solving shared problems and achieving mutual interests.



The cooperative nature of the Forum is most evident at sea where a joint fisheries patrol could easily involve a U.S. Coast Guard cutter with embarked Japanese law enforcement team operating in tandem with Chinese and Russian ships that are receiving aerial surveillance information from a Canadian aircraft.





U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp pilots CCGS Siyay, a hovercraft vessel belonging to the Canadian Coast Guard.

“A true international cooperative spirit is represented in all Forum activities,” said Papp. “The problems we face are common to each Forum participant; therefore, each has an interest in bringing solutions to the table.”



Since no single country has the resources, authorities, or jurisdiction to provide effective oversight across the mission areas affecting the North Pacific Ocean, the Forum fills the necessary gap. Together, the organizations can pool ships and aircraft, and provide the required coverage. And by carrying embarked law enforcement representatives from other Forum nations in those ships, they have the authority and jurisdiction to enforce a wide range of law.



If the past 10 years of Forum successes are any indication, the future is great. Member organizations actively collaborate and seek new areas for partnership, while operational efforts continue to place greater coverage in a region that necessitates attention. Ultimately, the efforts happening far out at sea help each nation by curbing trans-national crime, sustaining fish stocks and promoting safe and secure global trade.



“What happens far out at sea impacts the U.S.,” Papp said. “We have to reach further off our shores and the Forum provides an effective way for the U.S. and other partner nations to meet this common need.”






CONTRACTS DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Science Applications International Corp., Fairfield, N.J., is being awarded a maximum $1,050,000,000 fixed-price with economic price adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for maintenance, repair and operations of supplies. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was Web-solicited with 11 responses. The date of performance completion is Sept. 17, 2011. The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting agency (SP0500-01-R-0011).

GearyEnergy, LLC*, Tulsa, Okla., is being awarded a maximum $13,678,892 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for direct supply of natural gas. Other locations of performance are throughout the United States. Using services are Army, Air Force and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was Web-solicited with 29 responses. The date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2012. Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity (SP0600-10-D-7502).

Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, Rolling Meadows, Ill., is being awarded a maximum $9,190,500 firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract for infrared processors. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. The date of performance completion is July 30, 2011. The Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPRPA1-09-G-004Z-5002).

Oneok Energy Marketing, Topeka, Kan., is being awarded a maximum $6,252,360 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for direct supply of natural gas. Other locations of performance are throughout the United States. Using services are Air Force and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was Web-solicited with 29 responses. The date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2012. The Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity (SP0600-10-D-7515).

Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, Rolling Meadows, Ill., is being awarded a maximum $5,739,713 firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract for infrared sensors. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. The date of performance completion is July 30, 2011. The Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPRPA1-09-G-004Z-5003).

NAVY

Caterpillar, Inc., Mossville, Ill., is being awarded a $641,200,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for a maximum order quantity of 909 621 G wheeled tractor-scraper systems to support Marine Corps and Army units in support of world-wide operations. Work will be performed in Mossville, Ill., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 14, 2020. Army contract funds in the amount of $1,634,448 will expire by the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is a full and open competition with one offer received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-10-D-5117).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $424,400,000 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract (N00019-09-C-0010) for sustainment activities in support of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter air system Low Rate Initial Production Lot IV production. Sustainment activities will include autonomic logistics information system operations and support, block upgrade and concurrency modification planning, site activation, training systems, and support equipment. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (35 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (25 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (20 percent); Orlando, Fla. (10 percent); Nashua, N.H. (5 percent); and Baltimore, Md. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed in December 2012. This modification combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($61,990,750; 15 percent), U.S. Air Force ($135,694,000; 31 percent), U.S. Marine Corps ($194,465,750; 46 percent), and international partners ($32,249,500; 8 percent). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Watts Webcor Obayashi A, JV, Honolulu, Hawaii, is being awarded a $158,132,500, firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of a replacement hospital in Guam. The work to be performed provides for the construction of a new replacement Naval Hospital. The work also includes demolition of the existing Naval Hospital and various designated structures and the expansion of the Central Utility Plant building. Work shall be phased so that the existing hospital remains operational during construction of the new hospital, and new hospital shall be operational before demolition of existing hospital. Work will be performed on Marianas Island, Guam, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 2014. The Guam Naval Hospital Replacement is not a part of, or related to, the Defense Policy Review Initiative Military Relocation program, potentially involving the transfer of Marines from Okinawa to Guam. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with five proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-10-C-1304).

General Dynamics C4 Systems, Scottsdale, Ariz., is being awarded $146,290,144 for a firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the production of digital modular radios, high frequency distribution amplifier group and associated supplies/services. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $544,020,656. Work will be performed in Scottsdale, Ariz. (50 percent); Crawley, England (25 percent); and Clarksburg, Md. (25 percent). Work is expected to be completed by May 2013. If all options are exercised, work could continue until September 2018. Contract funds in the amount of $230,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured because General Dynamics C4 Systems developed digital modular radio hardware components, operating software, waveform generating software, radio control software and the cryptographic algorithm generating software for the embedded cryptographic modules in the radio. Thus, General Dynamics C4 Systems is the only qualified manufacturing source with the knowledge and technical expertise to produce the Digital Modular Radio system. General Dynamics C4 Systems is also the only vendor capable of efficiently integrating the high frequency distribution amplifier group, addressing technical issues identified in the software trouble reports and adding new encryption algorithm to the digital modular radio system. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Headquarters, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N00039-10-C-0069).

Harris Corp., RF Communications Division, Rochester, N.Y., is being awarded a $70,000,000 ceiling increase modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract (N00039-07-D-0001) for the procurement of the following Harris handheld, manpack, fixed mount, vehicular, and/or base station configuration of radio families: AN/PRC-117, AN/PRC-150, AN/PRC-152, as well as related ancillary parts for the warfighter. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $165,800,000. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by September 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured because Harris Corp., RF Communications Division, is the sole provider of AN/PRC-117, AN/PRC-150, and AN/PRC-150 radio systems. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

ITT Communications Systems, Fort Wayne, Ind., is being awarded a $49,529,759 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for in-service and technical support, maintenance/upgrades, and enhancements to the baseline Joint Tactical Radio System Bowman Waveform. Work will be performed in Fort Wayne, Ind., and is expected to be completed by September 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a sole-source acquisition. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N00039-10-D-0047).

BAE Systems Controls, Inc., Johnson City, N.Y., is being awarded a $39,572,550 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00421-10-D-0004) for the procurement of up to 106 A and B kits for the AN/ASW-60 Digital Autopilot System hardware for the U.S. Navy (76) and the government of Norway (30). Work will be performed at Johnson City, N.Y., and is expected to be completed in September 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($27,627,930; 74 percent) and the government of Norway ($11,944,620; 26 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc. - Electronic Solutions, Wayne, N.J., is being awarded a $34,517,049 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Systems Engineering and Integration of the Multifunctional Information Distribution System Low Volume Terminals (MIDS-LVTs). In support of MIDS-LVT production, BAE shall maintain MIDS-LVT software. The MIDS-LVT provides secure, high capacity, jam resistant, digital data and voice communications capability for U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army platforms, and the platforms of the nations of France, Italy, Germany and Spain. Work will be performed in Wayne, N.J. (98 percent), and Paris, France (2 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is a sole-source acquisition. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N00039-10-D-0060).

Sodexho Management, Inc., Gaithersburg, Md., is receiving a $27,832,265 modification (P00084) to previously awarded firm-fixed-price, incentive contract (M00027-02-C-0001) to exercise an option to extend services for East Coast Regional Garrison Food Service. This contract provides food services to the Marine Corps to manage and operate their mess halls in the eastern region of the United States. This modification does not include any work that is outside the scope of the original contract. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, N.C. (40 percent); Quantico, Va. (15 percent); Parris Island, S.C. (20 percent); Washington, D.C. (5 percent); Arlington, Va. (5 percent); Norfolk, Va. (5 percent); Havelock, N.C. (5 percent); and Beaufort, S.C. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2011. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Contract years one through eight (the five-year base period, and three option periods) total $594,409,121. The Regional Contracting Office (Southeast), Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., is the contracting activity.

Data Link Solutions, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is being awarded a $24,629,268 firm-fixed-price delivery order under a previously awarded contract (N00039-10-D-0031) for Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Low Volume Terminals (MIDS-LVTs). The MIDS-LVT provides secure, high capacity, jam resistant, digital data and voice communications capability for Navy, Air Force and Army platforms. This delivery order combines purchases for the United States (11 percent) and the governments of Finland (38 percent), Pakistan (46 percent) and Hungary (5 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Wayne, N.J. (50 percent), and Cedar Rapids, Iowa (50 percent), and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2012. Contract funds in the amount of $636,195 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Space and Naval Warfare E-commerce website, with two offers received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command in San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Corp., Aerospace Systems, Bethpage, N.Y., is being awarded a $19,713,414 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-08-C-0023) in support of the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) System Development and Demonstration. This modification provides for radar risk reduction flight test efforts for the BAMS UAS. Work will be performed in Rancho Bernardo, Calif. (90 percent), and Bethpage, N.Y. (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Rock Industries, Inc.*, Bannockburn, Ill. (N40083-10-D-3022); Applied Thermal Coatings*, Romeoville, Ill. (N40083-10-D-3023); Alacran Contracting, LLC*, Rockford, Ill. (N40083-10-D-3024); Scott Reliance, JV*, Chicago, Ill. (N40083-10-D-3025); and Dae Sung Corp.*, Frankfort, Ill. (N40083-10-D-3040), are each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award design-build construction contract for roofing construction projects located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Midwest area of responsibility. The maximum dollar value, including the base period and four option years, for all five contracts combined is $15,000,000. Alacran Contracting, LLC, is being awarded task order #0001 at $747, 370 for the removal of the existing built-up roofing system at Building 238 at Naval Station Great Lakes, Great Lakes, Ill. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by November 2010. All work on this contract will be performed in Great Lakes, Ill. (70 percent), and within a 100-mile radius of Great Lakes, Ill. (30 percent). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of September 2015. Contract funds for task order #0001 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with eight proposals received. These five contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Midwest, Great Lakes, Ill., is the contracting activity.

Jacobs Technology, Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is being awarded $12,058,815 for task order #0031 under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (M67854-02-A-9017) to provide support of the transition from the Navy/Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) environment to the next Marine Corps (USMC) Information Technology (IT) environment. This includes financial planning, programming, budgeting and execution of the USMC enterprise budget throughout the Future Year Defense Plan; program management activities; USMC representation and coordination with Navy Next Generation Enterprise Network office, the Secure Operational Network Infrastructure Capability Program of Record activities as well as providing expertise in all other forums related to the delivery of this new IT environment. Work will be performed in Dumfries, Va. (96 percent); Washington, D.C. (3 percent); and Stafford, Va. (1 percent). Work is expected to be completed in September 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $12,058,815 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

General Dynamics Information Technology, Fairfax, Va., is being awarded $10,000,000 for cost-plus-fixed-fee task order EJG1 under previously awarded SeaportE multiple award contract (N00178-04-D-4012) for analyzing, designing, researching, developing and implementing innovative and special engineering solutions to ergonomic, fall, electrical, and other "Workplace Environment" issues within the purview of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC). The work to be performed provides for initial site surveys, develop/design code-compliant resolutions for each identified hazard; conducting cost/benefit trade-offs for each option and provide recommendations to contracting officer's technical representative for implementation of the most cost effective solutions associated with occupational health and safety issues. The task order also contains four unexercised options which, if exercised, would increase cumulative task order value to $39,000,000. Work will be performed throughout NAVFAC Pacific and NAVFAC Atlantic areas of responsibility within and outside the continental United States, and is expected to be completed by September 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $4,355,692 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Two proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Specialty Center Acquisitions, Port Hueneme, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Matthews Manufacturing Inc.*, St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $9,837,425 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for multi-spectral targeting system turret unit shipping and storage containers use by the Navy, Army and Air Force aircraft programs which utilize the multi-spectral targeting system. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2015. Contract funds in the amount of $35,300 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with four offers received. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity (N00164-10-D-JQ25).

Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, is being awarded an $8,892,667 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed priced performance-based contract for support services which include engineering and technical services for cryptologic systems and antennas. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to an estimated $44,243,298. Work will be performed in Texas (92 percent), Virginia (2 percent), California (2 percent), Hawaii (2 percent), and Japan (2 percent). Work is expected to be completed September 2011. If all options are exercised, work could continue until September 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic, Charleston, S.C., is the contracting activity (N65236-10-D-6841).

Goodrich Corp., Sensors and Integrated Systems, Vergennes, Vt., is being awarded a $5,765,474 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-06-C-0298) for the procurement of 19 MH-53 integrated mechanical diagnostic and health usage monitoring system units. Work will be performed in Vergennes, Vt., and is expected to be completed in September 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

ViaSat, Carlsbad, Calif., is being awarded a $5,521,059 firm-fixed-price delivery order for multifunctional information distribution system-low volume terminals (MIDS-LVTs). The MIDS-LVT provides secure, high capacity, jam resistant, digital data and voice communications capability for Navy, Air Force and Army platforms. This delivery order combines purchases for the United States (64 percent) and the government of Australia (36 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. Contract funds in the amount of $723,211 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Work will be performed in Carlsbad, Calif. (30 percent), and in various other sites worldwide (70 percent). Work is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2012. This contract was competitively procured via the Space and Naval Warfare E-commerce website, with two offers received. The synopsis was released via the Federal Business Opportunities website. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N00039-10-D-0032).

AIR FORCE

Alenia North America, Inc., Washington, D.C., was awarded a $30,240,664 contract modification for the refurbishment of two G222 aircrafts including ballistic protection for the cockpit and liquid oxygen compartment, technical support and travel in support of the Afghanistan National Army Air Corps. At this time, $30,240,664 has been obligated. WR-ALC/GRBKB, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8504-08-C-0007; P00006).

Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., Herndon, Va., was awarded a $24,898,128 contract which will provide threat and vulnerability assessments, periodic anti-terrorism and force protection intelligence summaries and threat intelligence briefings to Army counterintelligence senior leaders. At this time, $1,410,189 has been obligated. 55 CONS/LGCD, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700-03-D-1380; Delivery Order 391).

Boeing Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Seattle, Wash., was awarded a $19,650,233 contract modification which will exercise the options for the Phase II-A production requirements of the radar system improvement programs capability for the Royal Saudi Air Force AWACS fleet of five aircraft. At this time, $19,650,233 has been obligated. AASSD/HBSK, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity (F19628-01-D-0016; Delivery Order 0070; Modification 003).

EDO Communications & Countermeasures Systems, Inc., Thousand Oaks, Calif., was awarded a $11,400,000 contract modification which will provide sustaining engineering services in support of the B-1 and B-52 mission data test laboratories and special test equipment. Planned taskings will directly support the maintenance, operation and technical capabilities of the electronic warfare systems mock-ups, special test equipment and mobile test facilities. At this time, $782,309.45 has been obligated. AAC/PKES, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA9200-10-D-0273; FA9200-10-D-0273, 0001).

BAE Systems National Security Solutions, BAE Systems Advanced Information Technologies, Inc., Burlington, Mass., was awarded a $7,390,057 contract which will develop information diffusion models over evolvable social networks with the ability to monitor impact and to generate an adaptive question plan for the patrollers. Final deliverables are software and a final technical report. At this time, $981,791 has been obligated. AFRL/RIKE, Rome, N.Y., is the contracting activity (FA8750-10-C-0207).

*Small business

Air Force Races Ahead as Scientific Field Levels Out

By Ian Graham

Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity



WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2010 - The world is flattening because engineering capabilities are becoming more and more widely available, the Air Force's chief scientist said this week.



That poses a significant challenge to the United States, because technologies that were once purely in the realm of top-level military research and development are now in the hands of more and more allies and potential enemies, Werner J.A. Dahm said during a Sept. 13 "DoD Live" bloggers roundtable.



"There is, I would say, greater risk as a result of that," he said. "The number of peers and near-peers who we could potentially face over the next 20 years and beyond is certainly going to grow. The world, as we say, is flattening from a science and technology and engineering-derived-capabilities perspective."



And the United States is not going to be able to stop the world from flattening, he added.



"That is a one-way train that is going to continue, and we recognize that, and it is irreversible," he said. "And it's the Air Force's challenge to maintain its technological superiority in that environment."



Dahm also discussed key findings and summarized major elements contained in the recently completed Air Force Technology Horizons effort. Technology Horizons is vision that will be used to focus Air Force Science and Technology efforts in the coming decades.



Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley announced at this year's Air Force Association conference that the completion of Technology Horizons is one of the Air Forces' major accomplishments this year. The project was announced publicly at last year's conference.



"The major findings of Technology Horizons are, first of all, that the Air Force is going to have to do far broader and deeper use of autonomous systems and processes to get manpower efficiencies, which we desperately need," Dahm said, "as well as capability increases to meet some of the challenges we face."



The increase in use of augmentation doesn't end at using remote-controlled or computer-controlled vehicles or weapons, Dahm said. The second major finding is that the military is going to have to conduct further research into human performance augmentation and human-machine coupling.



"To get many of the benefits of greater use of autonomous systems and processes," he said, "we will also need to go much deeper into human-machine coupling, as opposed to human-machine interfaces -- since humans are recognized as becoming increasingly less well matched in terms of their natural capacities to the demands that technology has -- and then finally even going so far as direct augmentation of humans using technologies in some cases developed from the world of prosthetics and elsewhere."



Dahm said the third major finding was the necessity for development of technology to allow more freedom of operations in contested areas.



"Those include quantum-interferometry approaches to provide us GPS-like capabilities for [positioning, navigation and timing], even in GPS-denied environments," he said, "a shift from cyber defense to cyber resilience using technologies for massive virtualization, and then finally, technologies for electromagnetic spectrum dominance in the increasingly crowded and contested [electromagnetic] environment that we work in."



The Air Force has the means to keep its position as a technology leader, Dahm said -- it's simply going to be a different game to play in the future. While the hierarchy of technological dominance levels out, he said, the Air Force will have to work harder to stay ahead of its adversaries.



"I think our job as an Air Force, through efforts like Technology Horizons, is to in effect stay ahead of the curve in order to have a better, a clearer, a sharper understanding of where those disproportionately valuable technologies are, both on the opportunity side for the U.S. Air Force and the broader joint force, as well as on the threat side, those technologies that would be disproportionately valuable to our potential adversaries," Dahm said.



"I think we can avoid technology surprise, or at least we can minimize the risk of it, through efforts like Technology Horizons that allow the Air Force to step back from its day-to-day narrower look at the technology landscape and really look from the 65,000-foot view over, say, a decade-long period and assess where the great opportunities and risks are, and then prepare itself to address those risks," he added.



Biographies:

Werner J.A. Dahm

DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Sgt. Ryan J. Hopkins

DOD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom

Sgt. Ryan J. Hopkins, 21, of Livermore, Calif., died Jan. 8, at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, of injuries sustained in a motor pool accident in Baghdad, Iraq, on Oct. 4, 2008. At the time of the incident, he was assigned to the 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. At the time of his death, he was assigned to the Warrior Transition Unit, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas

DOD is responsible for content and accuracy of this notice.

Policy Change Announcements: DOD Identifies Army Casualty

"DOD Identifies Army Casualty:" I get these notices almost every day. And have never passed them on.

Editor's Note: Early on it was decided not to pass on announcements in reference to any servicepeople, no matter what field of the armed services who had paid the ultimate price in the name of freedom....

Reasons being;

• What if the posting from DOD is incorrect? - Not to besmerch the DOD - mistakes happen.
• What if a family member saw the posting before they were notified by the DOD?
• Is it proper to announce the name of a service person or family?
• It was out of care for the service people and their families that the announcements were not offered.

After careful consideration, this practice will begin, because how can we fully understand and appreciate what we have, if we don't pay tribute to those who have had the great fortune to be able to contribute to the defense of this Country and have the God given talent and ability to serve?

As a tribute and to give thanks, we remember.... Besides the DOD doesn't make mistakes. The Armed services doesn't make mistakes, they make soldiers, heros, and the ability to live one more day in freedom.

I was rejected from serving due to health, otherwise I might have been called to service in Iraq. Instead, I served as a Civilian Workforce Employee for US Army Corps of Engineers and SBA . So I served by country in a different manner, but an important one, none the less.

Thank You for your service



Publisher, Motion Center

Homeland Security Executive Hiring

Homeland Security Executive Hiring


For more Information click here for the Official DHS (US Govt. Website)



Play a critical role in securing our nation in the areas of counterterrorism, border security, immigration, and preparedness, response and recovery by becoming a leader in Homeland Security’s Senior Executive Service (SES) civilian workforce.



The Senior Executive Service was established by the Civil Service Reform Act and went into effect on July 13, 1979. The SES is comprised of the men and women charged with leading the continuing transformation of our government. This dedicated corps of executives shares a commitment to public service and a set of democratic values grounded in the fundamental ideals of the Constitution. As the leaders of our federal civilian workforce, senior executives strive each day to create a more citizen-centered, result-oriented federal government.



SES is governed by one distinct personnel system in which the same executive qualifications are required for all members. Applicants to SES positions must demonstrate that they possess Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). These ECQs define the competencies needed to build a corporate culture within Homeland Security that strives for results, serves customers, and builds successful teams and coalitions both within and outside the Department. ECQs are required for entry to the SES and are used in selection, performance management, and leadership development for Homeland Security’s executive positions.



Current Opportunities

The Department of Homeland Security is actively seeking to fill a number of newly allocated senior executive positions.



SES positions within the Department will be filled using a “resume-only” process. Applicants submit a resume (maximum of five pages) that addresses both their ECQs as well as their technical qualifications (TQs). The TQs address the technical knowledge to perform the duties of the position, for example; industry issues, government programs, application of laws, rules, and regulations. For more information, see resume writing tips (PDF, 1 page - 62 KB) and the sample resume (PDF, 4 pages - 41 KB).



SES vacancy announcements will be posted for a minimum of 30 days. Candidates must be able to obtain a security clearance. The 2010 salary range is $119,554-$179,700.



Provided below is a listing of SES positions for which the Department will be seeking qualified applicants. This list includes currently advertised positions and those to be announced in the near future. The “Apply Now” link in the left hand column indicates the position is currently under recruitment.



Business/Finance

Apply Now Title Component Closing Date

Apply Now Chief, Performance and Quality USCIS September 24, 2010

Apply Now Chief, Intake and Document Production USCIS September 17, 2010

Apply Now Director, Business Management Division FEMA September 24, 2010

Apply Now Director, Grants Management Division FEMA September 30, 2010

Apply Now Director, Acquisition Support & Operations Analysis S&T October 7, 2010

Information Technology / Cybersecurity

Apply Now Title Component Closing Date

Chief Technology Officer, CS&C NPPD

Intelligence

Apply Now Title Component Closing Date

Deputy Director, Suspicious Activity Reporting Program Management Office (SAR-PMO) I&A

Director, Operations Support Division (OSD) I&A

Assistant Director of Field Operations, West NPPD

Assistant Director of Field Operations, Central NPPD

Assistant Director for Operations NPPD

Assistant Director of Field Operations, NCR NPPD

Principal Dep. Asst. Sec., Infrastructure Protection NPPD

International (Travel & Trade)

Apply Now Title Component Closing Date



Law Enforcement / Immigration Enforcement

Apply Now Title Component Closing Date

Deputy Director, Office of Detention Policy and Planning ICE

Legal

Apply Now Title Component Closing Date

Apply Now Chief Counsel for New York City OGC October 15, 2010

Apply Now Chief Counsel for Los Angeles OGC October 15, 2010

Apply Now Deputy Chief Counsel for Field Management, USCIS OGC October 8, 2010

Management

Apply Now Title Component Closing Date

Apply Now Associate Director, Customer Service USCIS September 17, 2010

Chief Operating Officer, CS&C NPPD

Chief - Personnel Security MGMT



Medical / Scientific

Apply Now Title Component Closing Date

Apply Now Director, Office of National Laboratories S&T October 13, 2010

Preparedness / First Response / Recovery

Apply Now Title Component Closing Date

Assistant Administrator, National Preparedness FEMA

Apply Now Director, National Processing Service Center FEMA September 30, 2010



For information on benefits, other career opportunities and more about the Department's components and agencies, visit the Careers section of this Web site.



The Department of Homeland Security is an Equal Opportunity Employer.



The Department is also developing senior leaders through its SES Candidate Development Program. Applications will be accepted soon.

Toronto's mayor unveils fifth anniversary retrospective exhibition to kick off 2010 Scotiabank Nuit Blanche

Scotiabank Nuit Blanche celebrated its past and kicked off its fifth year today with the unveiling of Some Enchanted Evenings, a fifth anniversary retrospective exhibition presented by Scotiabank featuring photos, videos and previously mounted works from the 2006-2009 editions of the free all-night contemporary art event. The exhibition runs until October 3 at Scotia Plaza, 40 King St. W.



To enhance the event experience and expand the festivities beyond one night, the City of Toronto is also hosting a series of lectures entitled Nuit Talks - five evenings covering five topics over five days starting September 28. The talks will encourage dialogues that explore the boundaries of contemporary art in public space and critically engage in future plans for the event.



"This retrospective exhibition offers a great opportunity to look back and celebrate the successes and magical moments of the first four years," said Rita Davies, Executive Director of Cultural Services at the City of Toronto. "So far, the event has been a platform for more than 600 official art installations by nearly 2,000 artists representing more than 15 countries worldwide, resulting in a total of $38 million in economic gain for our city - not bad for a completely free event lasting only 12 short hours."



“For the past five years, we’ve witnessed Scotiabank Nuit Blanche become a very special tradition in this city - a celebration of the amazing creative cultures here in Toronto,” said Duncan Hannay, Scotiabank Senior Vice-President, Marketing. “We’re very fortunate to have such a wealth of talent in this city, to showcase it, and to attract so many wonderful artists to join us for a magical evening. Year after year, Scotiabank Nuit Blanche reminds us of the incredible richness that art brings into our lives and we are proud to be a part of that.”



With 130 projects by nearly 500 artists featured at the 2010 edition of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, it will be impossible for the public to experience it all in one night, and event-goers are advised to plan ahead. The City of Toronto announced key event information and navigational tools that will make getting around the event easier and safer.



Finding information

• Centrally located Scotiabank Information Centres are a great place for the public to start their night. Event-goers can pick up a guidebook or map, chat with Volunteer Information Ambassadors, vote for Scotiabank People's Choice.

• Full program details, including project descriptions, images and links to artists’ websites can be found at http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca

• Program brochures are now available at independent project venues and Scotiabank locations.

• The public is also encouraged to become a fan of the event on Facebook (www.facebook.com/sbnuitblancheTO) and follow @sbnuitblancheTO on Twitter for

the latest behind-the-scenes information and event tips leading up to, and on, event night.



Getting around

• The souvenir edition of the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche branded TTC Day Pass is now on sale at subway ticket counters and will be valid from 9 a.m. on October 2 until 9 a.m. on October 3 at a cost of $10. The TTC will continue to run all-night service on portions of both subway lines.

• Exhibition projects have been placed closer together, and predominantly on the Yonge-University subway line, making it easier to see more installations and encourage simple navigation.

• Yonge Street will be entirely closed to car traffic from Bloor Street South to Front Street, and portions of Bloor Street, Bay Street and Queen Street will also be car-free, creating safe and accessible pedestrian routes through large portions of the downtown core.



Navigational Tools

• The Mobile-optimized web content at www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca will adapt to any handheld and allow participants to access all event details and vote for Scotiabank People’s Choice while they are out and about on event night.

• The My Night itinerary planner on the website allows audience members to create their own personal list of must-sees, print it, view it from a hand-held device and share it with friends.

• The second edition of Night Navigator App will be available to iPhone, Blackberry and Android users on September 30. It utilizes GPS to help users navigate the event, find the closest projects, vote for Scotiabank People's Choice, join the conversation and view or upload event photos in real time.

• New for 2010 is Share Your Night - an online platform that aggregates tweets, comments, texts, photos and more from event-goers, in real time. The stream is on the website, on Night Navigator, and will be featured on specially designated screens found at the Scotiabank Information Centres on event night.



Scotiabank Nuit Blanche is Toronto’s annual all-night celebration of contemporary art, produced by the City of Toronto in collaboration with Toronto’s arts community.



Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad. Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2009 the Bank provided about $39 million in sponsorships and donations to a variety of projects and initiatives, primarily in the areas of healthcare, education, social services and arts and culture. For more information the public can visit www.scotiabank.com.



Toronto is Canada's largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic engine of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North America. Toronto has won numerous awards for quality, innovation and efficiency in delivering public services. Toronto's government is dedicated to prosperity, opportunity and liveability for all its residents. For information about non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can dial 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CBP Intercepts Endangered Sea Turtle Eggs in Atlanta

CBP Intercepts Endangered Sea Turtle Eggs in Atlanta

Atlanta – U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists working at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport intercepted a collection of endangered sea turtle eggs, officials announced today.

Thirty-five freshly harvested sea turtle eggs were found within the luggage of a passenger arriving from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The eggs had already deteriorated beyond the chance of survival when discovered.


Endangered sea turtle eggs confiscated from a passenger by CBP officers in Atlanta.
CBP agriculture specialists routinely seize goods confiscated from passengers who either inadvertently bring prohibited items into the country or blatantly ignore laws banning importation of certain items.
Sea turtles and their eggs are protected by both the Endangered Species Act and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The goal of CITES is to ensure that international trade in animals does not threaten their survival.


“Late summer typically marks the beginning of sea turtle egg harvest season in parts of Central America when sea turtles make their way onto the beaches of the Central American coast of Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Our agriculture specialists are aware of the possibility of passengers from these areas having the potential to be carrying these items during this time of the year,” said Stephen Kremer, CBP area port director for Atlanta.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the primary agency responsible for enforcing CITES in the U.S. CBP works in tandem with FWS to ensure CITES is enforced at every port of entry in the U.S.





U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

ICE's Operation Community Shield goes global with new task force in Honduras Operation Double Impact from the videographer's view

"We knew these operations were different from the states. There was a feeling of heightened awareness of our surroundings and increased tension in the air. Shootings and murders are taking place all over the city on a daily basis. When we were driving to a location downtown to look for gang members, we saw a body with a gunshot wound to the head lying on the sidewalk. " - Chuck Reed, ICE video production specialist

In Honduras, on assignment for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Video Production Specialist Chuck Reed kept his camera rolling nearly nonstop for three days in May during Operation Double Impact. While Reed is routinely behind the lens of live police action, the prospect of filming ICE/HSI agents and Honduras National Police (HNP) as they scoured the Tamara Prison and the Honduras streets, targeting Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and the 18th Street (M-18) gangs, made him "a little nervous."

The MS-13 and M-18 gangs engage in almost every conceivable criminal enterprise, including weapons and drug trafficking and human smuggling and trafficking. They violently protect their illicit interests through murder, murder for hire, kidnapping, blackmail, extortion and assassination. Frequently traveling between the U.S. and their home countries (usually somewhere in Central America or Mexico), these highly-mobile transnational gang members create a revolving door effect, perpetuating the north-south circular flow of gang activity.

A global and sophisticated anti-gang strategy is, therefore, critical to law enforcement. This fact was the impetus for expanding into Honduras, ICE's most effective tool in the fight against transnational street gangs -- Operation Community Shield (OCS). Since 2005 when OCS was first launched, ICE has partnered with federal, state and local law enforcement to identify, investigate, disrupt and dismantle violent street gangs. ICE is like no other federal law enforcement agency in that it is empowered by law with the authority to remove (deport) criminal aliens. Thus, ICE's OCS is a powerful force in the fight against transnational gangs.

Establishing a new Operation Community Shield Task Force (OCSTF) based in Honduras this past February, the ICE National Gang Unit, in conjunction with the ICE Assistant Attaché Honduras and the Narcotics Affairs Section of the Department of State, created the first OCS international alliance.

"Our OCSTF in Honduras is fostering and promoting clear, guided core law enforcement principles for Honduras National Police (HNP) gang units in their early stages of development," said Christopher Merendino, the International Program Manager of ICE/HSI Transnational Gangs. "Working together, disrupting these gangs in targeted areas and collecting intelligence, ICE and the HNP are bridging the gaps in combating gang activity and building a strong international crime-fighting network that will be difficult for gang members to elude."

After four months of ICE's mentoring and capacity building teaching the vetted HNP officers of the newly-formed task force the art of gang intelligence collection and sharing, as well as proven ICE enforcement strategies, the OCSTF put their lessons to work.

Reed videotaped and took still shots within the Tamara Prison, which housed MS-13 and M-18 gang members in four different compounds. But getting inside the prison was not an easy feat as task force members had to pry open the prison doors, which the inmates had locked. ICE Assistant Attaché in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Javier Pacheco, who helped coordinate the OCSTF in Honduras, was on the scene. Pacheco said the inmates "were not used to anyone invading their space. They own the prisons."

With limited time and the clock ticking, task force members had time to search only part of one M-18 compound. Law enforcement officers seized knives, narcotics and cell phones (the latter of which provided valuable call data that can be used for further gang investigations). Out of 180 inmates searched, the task force was able to fingerprint approximately 30 gang members using the latest digital scanning technique, the ICE CrossMatch Mobile IDENT.

"Our goal is to document every single MS-13 and M-18 member that is housed in the Honduras prison system," said Pacheco. Having fingerprints, photos and other identifying gang member information on file and sharing this information with law enforcement on both sides of the border is essential to stopping the problem of gang activity.

After the prison raid, OCSTF officers saturated the gang-plagued Comayaguelo Market, a place where gang members sell drugs, rob pedestrians and hold meetings. Officers arrested 33 gang members on Honduran federal and state criminal violations, including narcotics and firearms charges. They seized narcotics, cell phones and a vehicle. They also seized more than 1.8 million counterfeit DVDs and CDs with an estimated street value of $2 million. This latter crime is an intellectual property rights (IPR) violation and is also under ICE's jurisdiction.

Reed lauded the "great working relationship" between ICE and the HNP. "We could never have gone into the prison, conducted the IPR operation or conducted any of the gang operations without the cooperation of the HNP and the Minister of Security," said Reed. "The ICE vetted unit worked tirelessly to make the operation a success. Although there was a language barrier, I felt as if I got to know these agents. I was thoroughly impressed with their work ethic and their ability to get the job done."

Pacheco, who has served in Honduras as the ICE Attaché for more than a year says he's met "some of the best police officers in Honduras. They are focused on their mission. They are loyal and dedicated to their job. They believe in what they are doing and believe that they can make a difference."

In fact, Pacheco says Operation Double Impact has already made a difference. "We are starting to see the mentality evolve," said Pacheco. "More people are coming forward to their local precincts and sharing information and providing leads. We are seeing more arrests and greater quality of arrests -- not just the street thugs, but the gang leaders are being reported."

From his experience, Pacheco says that children join gangs in order to survive. "It's a pressure thing. A gang that owns the community pressures the kids to join."

The solution is education at an early age," Pacheco said. He cited a Honduran government and State Department backed community policing program designed to offer children guidance and keep them out of gangs.

Reed recorded the events of Operation Double Impact as part of his job for ICE. The entire experience, however -- dangerous, adrenaline spiked and ultimately purposeful and fulfilling -- will also be filed in Reed's memory bank. "It's something I'm never going to forget." Reed said.

Continuing with the success of the Honduran OCSTF, ICE is in the process of establishing an OCSTF in Kingston, Jamaica.

-- ICE --

Former high school swim coach indicted on child pornography charges

BOSTON - A Boston man was charged in federal court with receipt and possession of child pornography following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
U. S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, ICE HSI Special Agent in Charge Bruce M. Foucart and North Attleboro, Mass., Police Chief Michael P. Gould, Sr. announced on Thursday that Timothy S. Kelly, 39, of North Attleboro, was charged in a four-count indictment with receiving child pornography and possession of child pornography.
The indictment alleges that on Dec. 23, 2006, Kelly knowingly received visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and on June 22, 2009, knowingly possessed visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Kelly had previously been employed as a swim coach for the Attleboro YMCA and North Attleboro High School.
If convicted, Kelly faces up to 20 years imprisonment for each count of receipt of child pornography and up to 10 years imprisonment for possession of child pornography, to be followed by up to lifetime years of supervised release and up to a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by ICE HSI and the North Attleboro Police Department, with assistance from the Bristol County District Attorney's Office.
This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers. Since Operation Predator was launched in July 2003, ICE agents have arrested more than 12,800 individuals.
ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit www.ICE.gov. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423.