Image via WikipediaThe State Department Under Secretary for Management, Patrick Kennedy was before the Commission on Wartime Contracting on June 6. The fourth item he discussed in his testimony was the status of transition in Iraq from DOD to State, including "major challenges and progress." Excerpt below on the security and facilities, which are mind-boggling:
Security: All U.S. personnel and contractors in Iraq will be under Chief of Mission authority. However, security will be a shared responsibility, with the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) responsible for all State Department sites and DoD responsible for the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq (OSC-I) personnel. As such, DoD will be staffing and funding its security operations. At those locations where OSC-I is collocated with State, DS and DoD security will closely coordinate movement security, but DS will have sole responsibility for facilities security. 9
On September 29, 2010, the Department announced the award of a base contract for Worldwide Protective Services (WPS) to eight companies. Task orders under the WPS contract are being competed among base contract awardees and awarded on the basis of best value. Potential duration for these contracts is five years, including a base year plus four options years.
Awarding to multiple companies allows for increased competition for each task order, thereby controlling costs and providing for increased capacity to perform crucial security services in environments such as Iraq and Afghanistan if/as requirements expand. It also gives the USG timely options in the event a company fails to perform.
Several task orders for static and movement security have been awarded.
- For Embassy Baghdad, a Static Guard task order was awarded on September 29, 2010 to SOC for $ 974 million for a five year period. A movement security task order was award on February 10, 2011 to Triple Canopy for $1.5 billion for a five year period.
- For Consulate Basrah, a WPS task order for static and movement security was awarded March 1, 2011 to Global Strategies Group for $401 million for a five year period.
I would like to note that for Afghanistan, the task order for static guards at Embassy Kabul was awarded to EODT in September 2010. Unfortunately, we soon found that we needed to avail ourselves of the new contract terms for timely options in the event a company fails to perform. Due to issues that arose during transition, the EODT task order was terminated in March 2011, prior to the commencement of performance. The static guard incumbent, ArmorGroup North America, will continue providing services until a new task order is awarded, expected to be the first week of July 2011.
On April 29 the Department notified Aegis Defense Services, LLC that it was selected for award for the task order for protective security services for movement security at Embassy Kabul.
Facilities: To the maximum extent possible, we are repurposing existing DoD infrastructure and property for each of the Consulates General and Embassy Branch Office sites. The status of contracts by location is:
Consulate Basrah
*Phase III construction contract for the unclassified work was awarded March 14, 2011 (with notice to proceed issued March 22) to Perini for $107 million.
Basrah Aviation Hub
*Current design is at 35% and moving to 65%.
*Estimated completion is 200 days after ground breaking.
Consulate Erbil
*Phase III construction contract for the unclassified work for the Contingency Operating Site (COS) was awarded April 22, 2011 (with notice to proceed issued May 2) to PAE for $ 57.8 million.
Erbil Aviation Hub
*Reviewing 65% design.
*Estimated completion date is 240 days after ground breaking.
*Negotiations are ongoing with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) regarding temporary facilities at the old Airport Terminal, paving of roads and connection to City of Erbil power grid.
U.S. Embassy Heliport
*Current construction estimated completion date is July 2011.
*Required upgrades are programmed under the INL/A Aviation Support Services Contract at an estimated value of $6.7 million. Work is expected to begin in September of 2011.
Police Development Program Hub – Shield
*The Phase III construction contract for Shield was awarded to Pernix on April 12, 2011 for $92 million (with notice to proceed issued April 29) for design, long-lead procurement and mobilization. Full NTP pending resolution of land agreements.
Sather Aviation Hub
*We have reduced the foot print of the aviation hub and are in the process of re-working the scope of work. The award for the aviation operation/camp at Sather will follow discussions with the technically acceptable lowest cost bidder and is anticipated to be on or before June 8, 2011.
*Construction of the Kirby hangar that will house fixed-wing maintenance operations is complete.
*Expansion of the North Fingers aircraft ramp and moving the current Sprung hangar from the South Fingers to the North is 10% complete. Estimated completion by the end of July 2011.
*Final ramp extension, movement and erection of the Stryker office and logistics complex, and erection of required overhead cover. Estimated completion is February 2012.
Other contracts have also been awarded:
A medical contract was awarded to Medical Support Services – Iraq on May 15, 2011 for $132 million for five years.
We are leveraging DoD resources in theater where DoD has superior capabilities. An example is the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program, or “LOGCAP,” which is a tested, proven support mechanism with strong, mandatory contract management requirements. Use of LOGCAP, on an interim basis, is giving the Department sufficient time to solicit for and award a life support contract of its own. Another example is use of the Defense Logistics Agency prime vendor contracts for food and fuel.
Additionally, for the LOGCAP contract, we are supplementing our oversight with subject matter experts from DoD and we are currently discussing our need for a deployed contingency staff with the Defense Contract Management Agency.
DS has funded a vetting surge capability which provides a temporary increase in polygraph operators, investigative assistants, and interpreters to the Regional Security Office. The capability will aid this office in more rapidly vetting the life support contractors required for the transition.
Active links added. Most of these contracts are good for five years, so presumably we are there to stay until 2016.
Holy mother of god and all her wacky nephews!
And that's not it. There's the four option years, dudes. If all options are exercised, that would take us to 2020.
It'll be your new normal diplomatic one-year deployments with no end.
And I'll have grand kids by then, dammit! May I go see my shrink now?!?
1 comment:
Since at least 2003, when the first bid list for the not-yet-open new embassy in Baghdad was first published, it was obvious that this "new normal" was destined to become the deployment "tail" that would subsequently "wag" the Department's assignment "dog."
I've quoted you and linked to you here: http://consul-at-arms2.blogspot.com/2011/06/re-us-mission-iraq-not-dods.html
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