Service members transiting through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, near Washington, D.C., now have a new area to spend time between flights after the recent dedication of a new United Service Organizations lounge.

This newly relocated lounge provides a home away from home for traveling service members and their families. It offers active-duty military personnel, National Guardsmen, reservists, Merchant Marines, and their families a variety of free amenities.

Lounge visitors can enjoy high-definition TV with a movie library of current feature films, a fully-stocked snack bar, wireless Internet access and domestic and international calling courtesy of Verizon.

“Offering these free services gives us a chance to say thank you to those who sacrifice so much for our country,“ said Elaine Rogers, president of the USO of Metropolitan Washington. “We are so lucky to have such dedicated sponsors who have enabled us to provide these lounges.“

This lounge, like all USO lounges, was made possible by the generosity of corporate sponsors. URS Corporation, Turner Construction, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and corporate partners Verizon, CACI and Pitney Bowes all contributed to making the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport USO lounge possible.

Officials from the USO of Metropolitan Washington dedicated the new lounge May 8. Senior leaders from the military and government, including Bobby Sturgell, acting administrator of the FAA, and Virginia Sen. Patsy Ticer, performed the ribbon cutting at the dedication ceremony.

USO is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with service members and their families stationed at home and abroad.

(Courtesy of American Forces Press Service)

Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band to perform at the Pentagon

Oscar-nominated actor and director Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band will perform a concert in the Pentagon Courtyard today at noon as part of Military Appreciation Month.

Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. James Cartwright, and Department of Defense's 'America Supports You' program will be hosting the event. Military Appreciation Month is a nationwide observance honoring current and former members of the armed forces, including those who have died in service of our nation.

Sinise is renowned for his role as Lt. Dan in the movie “Forrest Gump,“ and currently stars in the CBS television series “CSI: NY.“ Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band have performed at USO concerts for men and women at American military bases across the United States, Europe and the Middle East. After visiting Iraq, Sinise started the ASY homefront group “Operation Iraqi Children“ with author Laura Hillenbrand that sends school supplies to children in Iraq.

Additionally, representatives from more than 40 homefront groups from around the country will be on hand to join in this celebration. These organizations help service members and their families in a variety of ways including sending letters and care packages to the troops, providing pre-paid phone cards, and sponsoring wellness retreats.

Air Force counter-biologicalwarfare reaches milestone

The Air Force counter-biological warfare concept of operations recently reached a critical milestone, achieving initial operational capability across the service.

“It results from six years of analysis and testing,“ said Col. Steve Lucky, chief of the Air Force Strategic Plans & Policy Division at the Pentagon.

“Although these new procedures significantly improve our ability to operate in a biological warfare environment, there is still a significant amount of work to be done to fully prepare the Air Force to meet the threat,“ Colonel Lucky said. “Air Force major commands are working together to ensure the CONOPS reaches full operational capability by April 2009 and is successfully institutionalized across the service.“

Simply put, the CONOPS for counter-biological warfare outlines the Air Force approach to countering biological warfare and terrorism, as well as naturally occurring disease outbreaks. It prescribes the actions to be taken before, during and after a biological event to limit casualties and sustain mission capability at Air Force installations. Base commanders use operational risk management to evaluate possible courses of action, identify risks and benefits, and determine the best course of action for installation response.

Several additions have been made to various Air Force instructions regarding biological warfare. An example includes AFI 10-2604, Disease Containment Planning Guidance. This document provides policy and guidance for disease containment planning, outlines roles and responsibilities and identifies planning considerations.

There are also several online courses devoted to the CONOPS, including the (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) Awareness Course, the CBRN Key Leaders Course and the CBRN Survival Skills Course.

“Now the Air Force will actively implement and integrate this CONOPS to reach full operational capability and to support its long-term institutionalization,“ said Colonel Lucky. “We are embedding these procedures across the service to effectively prepare Air Force installations for potential biological warfare attacks.“

Air Force officials awardstrategic partner contract

Air Force officials in Washington recently announced the award of the Personnel Services Delivery Transformation - Strategic Partner contract to Lockheed Martin Services, Inc.

The PSDT-SP includes strategic planning, business process re-engineering, change management and total force service center implementation designed to assist the Air Force in transforming methods of personnel services delivery.

The contract also maximizes efficiency of current operations by consolidating efforts previously provided by 27 different contracts primarily involving support for the Military Personnel Data System and other legacy information technology systems.

“This contract will ensure our processes ultimately enhance Airmen's accessibility to conduct personnel transactions,“ said Lt. Gen. Richard Y. Newton, the deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel.

The initial contract is for $119.9 million during three years of performance; one year with two optional years. If required, this indefinite delivery⁄indefinite quantity contract contains provisions for ordering additional effort beyond the three years of performance for a total potential value of $234 million.

This partnership concentrates on process changes in preparation for the Defense Integrated Military Human Resources System delivery and transforms current processes to a total force focus. The PSDT-SP is managed by the director of plans and integration, under the deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel, in Washington, D.C.