Defense Communities 360 Headlines

The General Services Administration is expected to seek proposals shortly to restore and lease historic Hangar One at Moffett Field in northern California. GSA will rely on section 111 of the National Historic Preservation Act to free the winning developer from using the hangar for activities related to the mission of the NASA Ames Research Center, reported the Mountain View Voice. “Section 111 gives us unique authority,” said David Haase, branch chief of the GSA. “Unlike enhanced use leasing authority NASA has used in the past, this will allow tenants to use the property for any use [they] would want to see within [section 111]. Before partners would need to have some direct connection to NASA,” he said. GSA will also offer companies the option of operating the airfield.

As the military turns to renewable energy to power its installations, microgrids are expected to become a key component of the Pentagon’s approach for reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and improving energy security. Microgrids allow installations to manage renewable energy sources locally and, at the same time, help protect them from potential disruptions caused by utility transmission and distribution lines, and terrorism. At next month’s Defense Communities National Summit, attendees will have an opportunity to tour a working microgrid at the FDA Federal Research Center White Oak campus in Silver Spring, Md. …

The Navy on Tuesday transferred 118 acres at the former Naval Support Activity New Orleans to the Algiers Development District, one of two local groups leading the Federal City project located on the west bank of the Mississippi River. The Algiers district had signed a lease with the Navy for the site in 2008 and due to a provision in the fiscal 2011 defense authorization bill, it was designated to take ownership of the property from the Navy. The property contains 51 buildings, nine of which are considered historic …

U.S. Special Operations Command could establish three pilot programs to assess the feasibility of providing family support activities for the immediate family members of personnel assigned to special operations forces, according to the portion of the draft fiscal 2014 defense authorization bill scheduled to be marked up Wednesday by the House Armed Services’ Military Personnel Subcommittee. The measure directs the commander of Special Operations Command to identify family support activities that have a direct and concrete impact on the readiness of special operations forces but that do not duplicate programs being provided by the military departments …

With the Army expected to decide shortly how it will rebalance its force structure as it reduces its active-duty end strength by 72,000 soldiers, House appropriators are concerned the service may commit to spending money on building new facilities after it already spent billions of dollars since 2005 on military construction to accommodate the population shifts generated by the last BRAC round. “Army planning to potentially add combat maneuver battalions and supporting units at certain installations in support of Army 2020 may result in a sizeable obligation to the Army’s budget at the same time the Army is trying to reduce the size of its force structure …

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Monday named the 2013 recipients of the Commander in Chief’s Annual Award for Installation Excellence, which recognizes installations’ exemplary support of DOD missions: Fort Rucker, Ala.; Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif.; Naval Support Activity Panama City, Panama City Beach, Fla.; Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Miss.; and Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio …

Air Force officials and representatives from 75 companies discussed new ways the private sector could partner with the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, during an industry forum held at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., earlier this month. In the energy arena, for example, the agency wants to do more third-party financed projects, including energy savings performance contracts, utility energy service contracts and renewable energy power purchase agreements, said Ken Gray, acting energy director …

Lawmakers on the six subcommittees of the House Armed Services Committee are expected to tackle a number of high-profile issues when then mark up the fiscal 2014 defense authorization bill this week — including the military’s handling of sexual assault, women in combat and oversight of drone strikes — but initiatives proposed by the Pentagon to help curb spending likely will be ignored. For starters, the Readiness Subcommittee is almost certain to leave out authorization for a base closure round in 2015 as DOD has requested …

In a process the Air Force calls “back-casting,” budget officials plan to take the service’s budget priorities for fiscal 2015 and apply them to funding levels in FY 2013 and 2014 in an effort to eliminate spending that no longer is needed. Officials believe the approach will help to smooth the transition to successive budget requests, as well as help the service manage sequestration, reported InsideDefense.com.

Key components of military strength, including force structure, acquisition programs and missions, likely would bear the brunt of cutbacks under a range of budget scenarios expected to be offered following a review of defense strategy now underway at the Pentagon. Defense officials would prefer to include base closures and changes to military compensation as ways to slash the budget over the next eight years, but they realize Congress probably won’t endorse those initiatives …