GAO denies protest, Air Force proceeds with LRS-B
The Government Accountability Office denied Boeing’s protest of the Long Range Strike Bomber contract award following a comprehensive review of the source selection process. The Air Force was confident that the source selection team followed a deliberate, disciplined and impartial process to determine the best value for the warfighter and the taxpayer.
“We look forward to proceeding with the development and fielding of this critical weapon system. This platform will offer the joint community the required capability needed to meet our national security objectives and the evolving threat environment,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. “It is important to ensure affordability in this program and the ability to leverage existing technology as we proceed forward.”
The service plans to procure 100 LRS-B aircraft. The aircraft preserves the president’s options for missions across the full range of military operations from permissive to anti-access/area denial environments. It will serve as the air component of the nuclear triad, providing a visible and flexible nuclear deterrent capability.
“Our Nation needs this capability,” said Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh III. “The current bomber fleet is aging. The technology advantage the U.S. has enjoyed is narrowing. This new bomber will provide unmatched combat power and agility to respond and adapt faster to our potential adversaries.”
Travel advisory issued to areas with zika outbreaks
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have assigned travel advisories for the zika virus, alert level 2 – practice enhanced precautions, for the Caribbean, which includes U.S. Northern Command-related islands Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands; Pacific Islands, Central America, South America and Mexico.
The advisory was issued due to ongoing zika virus transmission and the concern that the virus may cause serious birth defects in the unborn children of women infected during pregnancy. The zika virus is transmitted by the Aedes species mosquitoes prevalent throughout the Americas that most often bite during the day.
Outbreaks of the zika virus have been reported previously in the Americas, Africa, Asia and islands in the Pacific and Caribbean. Local transmission of zika from mosquitoes has not been documented in the continental United States, however, infections have been reported in travelers returning to the United States, and possibly, transmission may occur through blood transfusion or sexual contact.
There is no vaccine or medication available to prevent zika infection. The most effective way to prevent infection is to practice strict mosquito bite preventative measures.
All Air Force personnel and their families are urged to use caution against mosquito bites, such as anti-insect spray, netting and/or staying in climate-controlled facilities while in these countries. Those stationed in the effected countries can seek counseling from their commands regarding the virus. For more information about zika and travel concerns, visit http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/zika-travel-information.
CCAF cutoff date for April graduation
The Community College of the Air Force April 2016 cutoff date for graduation is Feb. 26, 2016. To be considered for graduation in the April class, CCAF must receive all documentation (i.e. transcripts, CLEP scores, etc.) for degree candidate submissions on or before this date. Students must also be enrolled in the degree program NLT Feb. 26. Nominations for students in which all documents are received by the Feb. 26 cutoff date may be initiated through March 6 to meet the April 2016 class cutoff.
For more information, call the Education Center staff at 661-277-2713.
Online tutoring program
The Department of Defense Voluntary Education Program is offering a pilot program that provides online tutoring to DOD service members at no cost. Service members can connect to a live tutor online at any time for one-on-one anonymous help with homework, test preparation, proofreading and more. The program was established to help ensure service members have the necessary tools and resources to reach their higher learning and professional development goals. The program provides tutoring services with background-checked experts able to help with more than 40 college subjects to include English, algebra, statistics, physics, accounting, history, physiology and world languages, in addition to writing projects such as research papers and creative essays. To create an account, visit www.tutor.com/military and click the blue button that corresponds to your branch of service. If you have questions about the Tutor.com for U.S. Military program, please email militarysupport@tutor.com.
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