In the heart of Bethesda, Maryland sits the campus of the 243-acre Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), a bastion of hope and healing for countless veterans and active-duty service members. Its gleaming white walls and towering oak trees conceal a world of dedication and tireless effort required to keep the vast institution running smoothly.
The Operation and Maintenance Engineering Enhancement (OMEE) Program at the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, is providing a simplified process to respond to the growing operation and maintenance needs of WRNMMC using streamlined processes that delivers low-cost, quick- response contracts for the operation, preventive maintenance, and repair and replacement of equipment for the sprawling campus.
The OMEE program uses a suite of Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) operation and maintenance (O&M) service contracts to execute maintenance requirements across the portfolio of Medical Treatment Facilities (MTF), said Chris Moore, OMEE program manager. WRNMMC is one such customer.
“Our contractor was selected on their ability to perform in medical facilities and are very knowledgeable in The Joint Commission (TJC) facility accreditation requirements,” Moore said.
The Base Realignment and Closure recommendations of 2005, the Office of Integration (OI) was formed in November 2005 to oversee the merger of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC).
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is the flagship of military medicine, also known as the President’s Hospital and the Nation’s Medical Center and is the world's largest joint military medical center with more than 2.4 million square feet of clinical space, more than 7,000 staff members providing care and services to more than 1 million beneficiaries every year.
Moore said since WRNMMC is a major hospital with aging infrastructure, there are challenges every day that the team OMEE team must overcome.
For example, Moore said, they recently had an air handler go down that rendered operating rooms unusable.
“The OMEE staff, contractor and WRNMMC site team responded in record time to add funding, scope, award, and executed the work,” Moore said.
“The hospital experienced the smallest possible service disruption and returned to full mission readiness very quickly. This work was handled as corrective maintenance (a service order), and it is just one example of many where the project development team serves our servicemembers and veterans with excellence.”
OMEE has provided some level of services to Walter Reed for over 10 years.
However, this iteration of the contract providing Operations and Maintenance (O&M) services for WRNMH was awarded in 2022 and as part of Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) OMEE VI with a total duration of three years and a value of $40 million.
Moore said the contract calls for preventative maintenance, such as maintaining the electrical and mechanical systems through regular service, and corrective maintenance, such as providing rapid response to unplanned facility related disruptions like generator failures.
Navy Cmdr. Russ Jarvis, WRNMMC chief of facilities, said ensuring the facilities are operational can be quite a challenge due to the magnitude of WRNMMC’s mission, but having the OMEEE contract gives him confidence that when something breaks down, the contractor is focused on resolving the issues quickly.
“The contract provides service for over 4,000,000 square feet throughout the hospital campus,” Jarvis said.
“We have a lot of equipment to keep running, and OMEE is an important part that keeps us functioning effectively and having this one contract to react to emergencies 24-7 is instrumental for the staff to provide care and services to the patients,” Jarvis said.
More than 20 years ago after the 9-11 attacks, the U.S. Department of Defense directed its installations to adopt closed-post security measures to improve security and prevent future terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.
To lead in the efforts to keep military installations and other federal agency facilities safe and secure, the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville stood up an Access Control Point (ACP) Program to provide for secure access and prevent unauthorized ground vehicles from gaining entry.
In the years following the terror attacks, Huntsville Center’s ACP Program directed its contracting, management, and engineering capabilities to provide design-build construction, procurement and installation of physical security equipment and infrastructure upgrades.
After the post 9-11 surge in military and other federal installation ACP upgrades, the program focused on ensuring the systems performed as intended with maintenance activities tailored to customer’s operational needs.
Today, Huntsville Center’s ACP Program is modernizing to improve installation security.
Lauren Ross, ACP program manager, said the program currently has seven contracts with 10-12 ACP modernization projects ongoing each year.
“The combined efforts of the ACP Program’s project managers save the Government millions each year and ensures the safety and security of DoD personnel nationwide,” Ross said.
Ross said the ACP Program’s modernization efforts provide new or replacement Active Vehicle Barrier (AVB) systems to increase ACP security positions through the continental U.S. (CONUS) including Alaska and Hawaii.
Ross said the ACP Program works closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Protective Design Center (PDC) at Omaha District to ensure that all AVB systems meet the latest and greatest Army standards for safety and security.
“In the past few years, the ACP program has installed upwards of 35 new barriers across the U.S. and improved dozens by leveraging technical expertise within USACE to provide customers the best project value,” Ross said.
Technology related to the ACP Program’s modernization efforts have slowly but surely improved over the years.
Brecken Bailey, ACP Program project manager, said one key example is improvement to the Active Vehicle Barrier system controls.
During the initial Army push to install AVBs post-9/11, AVB controls were mechanical buttons on a fixed console, she explained.
Over the years these controls evolved and interactive touchscreen AVB system control consoles are now readily available and affordable.
“The touchscreens give the installations a more user-friendly system with more features improving the guards’ ability to monitor the systems,” Bailey said.
Another way that technology has improved within the ACP Program is drone technology.
“We are experienced in developing standard compliant solutions for unique and challenging ACP layouts and drones can be -- and have been -- used to scan and help map out the geography at an ACP which assists the engineers with their designs,” Bailey said.
Although Huntsville Center’s ACP program is busy with its modernization efforts, the Center doesn’t work alone.
The program partners with many USACE components to provide maintenance and services, design -build construction, and infrastructure upgrades to ACPs and other facilities worldwide.
“It’s teamwork that make the program successful,” Ross said.
“The ACP Program has an excellent spirit of teamwork with a mission focus. The entire Project Development Team (PDT) understands the importance of the work that we do providing security and safety to DOD personnel and their families who work and live on Installations. We maintain close ties and take care of one another,” Ross said.
Sentar Inc. (Sentar), a women-owned small business specializing in advanced cyber intelligence solutions and technology, announced today it has been awarded the PAX Functional Services and Support Contract.
Through the awarded work, Sentar will be assisting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineering and Support Center Huntsville (CEHNC) with teammate MTA. Sentar will be providing functional support in the areas of customer training (workshops), helpdesk support, and quality assurance.
“We are excited to expand our Army footprint in Huntsville to now include the Army Corps of Engineers,” said April Nadeau, Senior Vice President.
Sentar and teammate MTA will perform the work over one base year with four option years. The work will be primarily performed in Huntsville, AL.
About Sentar, Inc.
Sentar is a leading cyber intelligence solutions provider focused on the National Security sector. Its cyber domain solutions blend expertise in cybersecurity, intelligence and analytics, and systems engineering to deliver superior results to mission partners. Key clients include the Defense Health Agency, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, and Missile Defense Agency. Sentar has offices in Huntsville, Alabama; Charleston, South Carolina; San Diego, California; Columbia, Maryland; and San Antonio, Texas. Visit www.sentar.com for more information.
Following years of energy-saving successes at Naval Base Guam, the Navy is expanding its partnership with the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville’s Resource Efficiency Manager Program.
Huntsville Center’s REM program improves installation energy programs by developing site energy and water plans that achieve energy efficiency, reduction, security and resiliency through sustainable and renewable resources. REMs, contracted energy management experts, help energy managers increase energy awareness, collect data for reporting site energy use and management and achieve energy goals and mandates.
REMs have been working with energy managers at Naval Base Guam for over six years to conduct building audits, identify energy conservation measures and develop project documentation for third-party financed energy projects, said Russell Moebes, REM Program project manager.
“They saw the energy savings and projects that have come out of Guam, so they shared those success stories within the Navy and wanted to get REMs out to other installations to help meet their energy goals as well,” said Moebes.
Huntsville Center’s REM Program now has contracts to provide 16 total REMs to Navy Atlantic, Navy Pacific and Navy Far East. Each contract has four unexercised option years and additional unexercised optional REMs if installations need additional support with larger integrated project development.
“Not only are these contracts going to result in cost savings for the Navy, they are also focused on improving energy resiliency, so installations can self-sustain their critical missions,” said Moebes.
For more information about Huntsville Center’s Resource Efficiency Manager Program, visit https://www.hnc.usace.army.mil/Media/Fact-Sheets/Fact-Sheet-Article-View/Article/490651/energy-division-resource-efficiency-managers/.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District hosted the 4th Quarter FY 2023 USACE South Atlantic Division Regional Governance meeting at the USACE Huntsville Engineering and Support Center in Alabama.
The four-day meeting provided an opportunity for district commanders, deputy for programs and project management and other staff to present topics requiring decisions from the SAD commanding general.
Brigadier Gen. Daniel Hibner, USACE South Atlantic Division commander, said the RGM is the place where decisions impact the division and the region are made to ensure the success of projects and the districts.
“Our regional governance provides the venue for regional decisions to be made, particularly decisions impacting balancing our workload to workforce,” Hibner said. “In terms of workload and workforce, what we have to do is align what we currently do, with what must do; and where we want to be, in order to achieve our goals in our program. We also need to meet our goals delivering quality projects, on time, within budget, safely and that is why we come together quarterly. It is to ensure we are winning.”
During the week, participants not only met to make decisions, but toured various project sites at the Redstone Arsenal.
Col. Jeremy Chapman, Mobile District commander, said the RGM and the site visits helped senior leaders see how important Redstone Arsenal is and helped them in prioritizing projects.
“I want to thank our partners across Redstone Arsenal that supported our site visits and educated our senior leaders on the strategic importance of Rocket City and the many commands that call the arsenal home,” Chapman said. “Our regional meeting assisted the division in prioritizing our heavy workload and cross-leveling projects to work as a team.
One of the visits on the tour was to the new USACE Huntsville Engineering and Support Center which is still under construction.
It is being built as an Enhanced Use Lease facility, one of the many innovative ways USACE can utilize in completing projects.
Col. Sebastian P. Joly, USACE Huntsville Engineering and Support Center commander, said he was glad senior leaders got the chance to tour their new facility and was also proud that they were able to showcase what Huntsville does by hosting the RGM.
“The tour of the new Enhanced Use Lease facility on Redstone Arsenal allowed SAD leaders to visualize the benefits of using an innovative approach in meeting an organization’s facility requirement, all under existing USACE real estate authorities,” Joly said. “The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, was honored to host leaders from across the South Atlantic Division. It afforded us the opportunity to highlight the valuable work that HNC performs in support our stakeholders across the nation, as well as the importance of maintaining rock solid partnerships with the geographic districts in delivering quality products.”
Hibner said he and the leaders from SAD were thankful to HNC for hosting the RGM.
“We are grateful to the Huntsville Engineering and Support Center for hosting us and giving us a tour to show us the specialized technical expertise, global engineering solutions, and cutting-edge innovations that support our national interests,” Hibner said.
The Hunter Army Airfield Warrior Restaurant near Savannah, Georgia, has experienced a nearly 600% increase in diners following a full-scale renovation that included all new furniture via a contract awarded by the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville’s Furnishings Program.
The contract, valued at $351,000, provided the dining facility with a variety of seating options such as private nooks, window seating, lounge areas, and high-top tables with stools in conjunction with standard dining tables and seating, said Stephanie Hardin, Furnishings project manager.
The aim was to create a more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing environment for customers, most of which are soldiers assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division, said Sgt. 1st Class Gerrick C. Smith II, the warrior restaurant manager assigned to the 287th Quartermaster Company.
“The Army plans to modernize all of its dining facilities with a college-campus dining concept, but we were chosen to pilot it, so for now, this is the only one of its kind,” Smith said. “We’re just glad to be able to offer this level of dining experience to soldiers.”
Prior to the Warrior Restaurant’s grand reopening in April, the facility saw an average of only 50 customers per meal.
“Our utilization rate has gone up immensely since then,” he said. “Sometimes, we’re over 500 people at one meal, but on a regular basis, it’s closer to 300. Huntsville Center played a big part in that.”
The remodel, which also included food trucks, “grab-n-go” kiosks, and made-to-order meal stations, stems from the Army’s readiness and modernization priorities that were codified in July 2019 when the Army revised Army Regulation (AR) 30-22, the Army Food Modernization Program.
The program’s overall objective is to field a modernized culinary service program that meets Soldier’s needs and desires.
For more information about Huntsville Center’s Furnishing Program, visit https://www.hnc.usace.army.mil/Media/Fact-Sheets/Fact-Sheet-Article-View/Article/1910931/facilities-division-furnishings-program/.
For more than a decade the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville (Huntsville Center) has maintained acquisition and contract management of the Department of Defense High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP).
However, changes to the program are underway to turn over the program to the U.S. Army Engineer Research Development Center (ERDC) contracting activity, Vicksburg, Miss., as early as September.
Patrick Parten, Huntsville Center HPCMP program manager, said although the acquisition portion of the program is moving to ERDC, there is no change to the mission of the HPCMP.
“Since the announcement that the portfolio of projects would transition to ERDC, we’ve worked closely with the HPCMP and the ERDC Contracting Office to ensure a smooth transition of all work with little or no impact to customers or the mission,” Parten said.
“The program continues to accelerate technology development and transition into superior defense capabilities through the strategic application of HPC, networking and computational expertise.”
In 2012, Huntsville Center and ERDC created a partnership to procure the follow-on integrated technical services needed by the HPCMP. To meet the demanding, ever–changing, technical requirements of the HPCMP, Huntsville Center’s Facility Technology Integration Division developed a highly skilled, multi-disciplined Project Delivery Team (PDT) solely dedicated to the execution of contracts in support of the HPCMP.
Over the decade under Huntsville Center, PDT managed a portfolio of projects valued at more than $2 billion and obligated over $1.4 billion over the life of the program. The PDT includes subject matter experts in the areas of program and project management, acquisition, engineering, contracting, resource management, and legal counsel. Additionally, the PDT has members with vast amounts of experience in information technology, networking, cybersecurity, software, hardware, training (in-person and virtual) and communications infrastructure.
Parten said Angela Wilson, Huntsville Center HPCMP contracting section chief, has been instrumental in the program’s success while handling a portfolio of contracts including Technology Insertion Basic Ordering Agreements, High Performance Computing Integrated Technical Services – Unrestricted, HPC Integrated Technical Services – Restricted, HPCMP Program Administrative Support Services, Navy Business Services and ERDC Business Services.
The HPCMP was initiated in 1992 in response to congressional direction to modernize the Department of Defense laboratories' High-Performance Computing (HPC) capabilities. The HPCMP was assembled out of a collection of small high performance computing departments, each with a rich history of supercomputing experience that had independently evolved within the Army, Air Force, and Navy laboratories and test centers. The HPC’s tools solve complicated and time-consuming problems with researchers expanding their ability to solve modern military and security problems using HPC hardware and software.
The HPCMP operates five DoD Supercomputing Resource Centers (DSRCs) with associated Local Area Networks (LANs) / Wide Area Networks (WANs) and develops HPC software applications and support environments.
The five DSRCs are: Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, Maryland; Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Navy Oceanographic, Stennis Center, Mississippi; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineering Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Maui High Performance Computing Center, Maui, Hawaii.
Aleut Building Company, LLC (Aleut), a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) certified 8(a) program participant and Small Disadvantaged Business, is proud to announce that it has been awarded a Single Award Task Order Contract (SATOC) by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Huntsville to serve U.S. Army Garrison Alaska (USAG-Alaska). This non-personal services contract encompasses multi-disciplinary maintenance and repair services for a wide range of USAG-Alaska facilities, systems, sub-systems, components, and equipment.
"This contract award further solidifies Aleut's commitment to supporting the mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers," said Aleut Federal's Senior Vice President of Construction Services, John Mroz. "Aleut is honored to contribute its expertise and resources to ensure the continued operational readiness and excellence of USAG-Alaska's facilities."
Under this contract, Aleut will be responsible for providing comprehensive maintenance services at various locations, including Fort Wainwright (FWA), Fort Greely Alaska (FGA), Donnelly Training Area (DTA), Yukon Training Area (YTA), Black Rapids Training Site (BRTA), and Seward Military Resort (SMR). Aleut will deploy its highly skilled personnel, along with state-of-the-art equipment, tools, vehicles, materials, supervision, subcontracts, and other necessary resources to perform all corrective maintenance (CM) tasks for designated sites and facilities.
The contract has a base period of performance of one year and includes four 1-year option periods, ensuring long-term support for USAG-Alaska's critical infrastructure and operational needs. Aleut's expertise positions them as an ideal partner for this endeavor, capable of delivering innovative and efficient solutions across a diverse range of construction services.
"Aleut looks forward to a successful partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville and USAG-Alaska, delivering exceptional services that meet and exceed the highest standards of quality, safety, and efficiency," said Mroz.
About Aleut
Formed in 2021, Aleut Building Company, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aleut Federal, LLC, a holding company for federal subsidiaries of The Aleut Corporation (TAC). TAC is one of 12 Alaska Native regional corporations established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1971.
Aleut Building Company, LLC is a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) certified 8(a) program participant and Small Disadvantaged Business specializing in design-build and design-bid-build solutions, providing a wide range of traditional and specialty construction services.
Berlyn Martin
Aleut Federal, LLC
Phone: 571-560-0828
SOURCE Aleut Federal, LLC
The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville (Huntsville Center) is hosting an Energy Workshop Aug. 1-3 at the Jackson Center located in Huntsville’s Cummins Research Park.
The focus of the workshop is on Huntsville Center’s capabilities in the Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) and Utility Energy Services Contracting (UESC) programs. This year's theme as "Innovation and New Technology Integration."
As the Army's exclusive agency for third party financed acquisitions, Huntsville Center holds this annual workshop for customers and stakeholders, utility providers and all Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) holding contracts on the Center’s $1.5 billion Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC).
Unlike other U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Divisions and Districts, Huntsville Center has no geographic boundaries allowing the Center to develop, award, and maintain long-term energy projects worldwide. The Center’s Energy Division currently has a $2 billion ESPC portfolio and a $1 billion UESC portfolio.
Huntsville Center’s customers include Army, Navy and Air Force garrisons, Army Material Command (AMC), Installation Management Command (IMCOM), Deputy Chief of Staff of Army (DCS-G9), Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy and Sustainment (DASA-ES), Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment (ASA-IEE), Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC), Washington Headquarters Services (WHS), and Headquarters US Army Corps of Engineers (HQUSACE).
Congressman Gary Palmer, Alabama 6th District, and Brendan Owens, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, are scheduled as the event keynote speakers.
To register for the event, visit www.2023espcworkshop.com
For more information on Huntsville Center’s Energy Division, visit www.hnc.usace.army.mil
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineering and Support Center Huntsville awarded the U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives Energy Support Services Generation Five (OEI V) requirement for $28,805,119 to incumbent Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., on June 12.
The task order was procured using the General Services Administration’s (GSA) One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS), multiple award (MA), Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract.
After exercising all options and having a justification and approval granted by the Senior Contracting Official, Alexandria (SCO-ALX) to further extend the period of performance, the current task order is set to expire on June 27, 2023. Huntsville Center successfully awarded the OEI V task order ahead of the current task order expiration date, preventing a gap in service and the need for a bridge contract.
The OEI V GSA OASIS task order will provide the subject matter experts and resources needed to assist military installations in developing third-party financed projects addressing resilience and security gaps. The efforts of this contract will also help develop a common understanding and standard metrics across military installations. This task order will allow for continued performance on the mission of identifying energy resilience and security projects, which must continue due to the mandate for U.S. Army installations to be capable of withstanding an extended utility outage for a duration set by the senior commander or at a minimum 14 days.
The period of performance for this fifth generation contract is 36 months.
