The Army Corp gets what they deserve with KBR

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Since I first read the article below….there’s been this perfect storm brewing in my head!! I’ve been trying to figure out just what in the hell the Army Corp is thinking….or are they. Especially after this weeks disclosure of specifics of KBR’s second LOGCAP Level III CAR. These Level III CAR’s are supposed to be a serious message sent to the contractor to “shape up or ship out”. In the business of DoD contracting it can’t get much worse than that.

There in lies my confusion!! I want to get one thing straight….I am no DoD contract specialist. I have never claimed to be the brightest crayon in the box!!! But I can sure tell you this, if I hired a contractor to do work for me and they kept screwing it up…I WOULDN’T KEEP GIVING THEM WORK!!

Here’s the article that has me all twisted up!

KBR wins more Iraq work

Houston Business Journal January 28, 2009

KBR Inc. has been awarded a $35.4 million contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for design and construction of a convoy support center at Camp Adder in Iraq.

Houston-based KBR (NYSE: KBR) will build a power plant, electrical distribution center, water purification and distribution system and other infrastructure, including paved roads.

The work by the engineering and construction services company is expected to begin in February. (END click HERE to go to the article)

I hope the DoD gets what they deserve. I hope they are humiliated publicly on a daily basis. I hope stars and stripes are ripped off uniforms. I will be disappointed if officers don’t face court martial or are forced to retire! This is stupid stupid stupid and they have no business taking care of our Soldiers!!

Here’s my analogies of the Corp giving KBR this contract…and I am damn sick and tired of hearing “NO ONE ELSE CAN DO THE WORK!!!” That’s bullshit. Did you just come up with this idea yesterday? Give someone else a chance! Plus KBR’s not doing what they’re being paid to do anyway…hence the latest greatest Level III Corrective Action Request (CAR)! Not to mention the plethora of Level II and Level I CAR’s. So let’s reward their poor performance with more contracts!

Here we go…Giving KBR the contract to build the Convoy Center at Camp Adder is the equivalent of:

1. Hiring a convicted child molester to work in a day care.

2. Hiring a rapist to work in a woman’s shelter.

3. Hiring a bank robber to work as a bank teller.

4. Hiring a shoplifter to work in Neiman Marcus.

Get my point? DoD you get what you deserve! Don’t come crying to the tax payers claiming you need more money to finish or repair the Convoy Center at Camp Adder because KBR screwed it up. If you aren’t bright enough to see the writing on the wall then we got BIG BIG problems in the DoD.

Is this a remnant of Bush’s DoD? Are these Level III CAR’s bogus? Does the Army Corp know about them? Is there some officer getting ready to go to work for KBR or what?

In the big scheme of things 35 Million is nothing. But I guarantee it will cost us at least 70 mill before it’s all over! If I managed my money like you manage yours…..I’d be living under a bridge in a week!

Ms Sparky
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Posted in KBR Contract, Rants. Tags: . 9 Comments »

Electric shocks came often at U.S. bases in Iraq, report finds (CNN)

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By Scott Bronstein and Abbie Boudreau
CNN Special Investigation Unit
January 29, 2008

(CNN)  — Improper wiring by military contractor KBR at U.S. bases in Iraq led to electrical shocks about once every three days for nearly two years, according to Defense Department documents obtained by CNN.
Ryan Maseth, a 24-year-old Green Beret, died in a shower at his base in Iraq on January 2, 2008.

Houston-based KBR, the military contractor responsible for maintaining and providing services at most of U.S. bases across Iraq, had “systemic failures” in its electrical work that threatened the life, health and safety of people inside the bases, according to the documents, from a violation report obtained by CNN.

There were 231 electrical shocks of personnel in Iraq from September 2006 through July 2008 in facilities maintained by KBR, the documents state.

KBR has been at the center of controversy surrounding the electrocution of soldiers on bases in Iraq. Much of the controversy has surrounded the electrocution of Sgt. Ryan Maseth, a highly decorated 24-year old Green Beret from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Maseth was electrocuted in a shower on a U.S. base in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 2, 2008.

At least 18 troops have been electrocuted in Iraq since 2003, and many of the electrocutions have been attributed to shoddy electrical work done on U.S. bases — work managed by U.S. contractors — according to Pentagon sources. Each of the electrocutions has occurred in different locations and under various circumstances.

The violation report shows that electrical shocks and problems with wiring and grounding continued for much of last year, long after Maseth was electrocuted.

Heather Browne, a KBR spokesperson, said the company could not comment on the specific language in the document obtained by CNN because KBR had not seen it.

But the company has previously said that “KBR found no link between work it’s been asked to perform and the reported electrocutions” and that “KBR remains committed to the safety and security of all employees and those the company serves. We have fully cooperated with the government when issues have been raised about work in Iraq and we will continue to do so.”

On the death of Maseth, the company has said, “KBR’s investigation has produced no evidence that KBR was responsible for Sgt. Maseth’s death. We have cooperated fully with all government agencies investigating this matter and will do so in the future.”

Last week, CNN obtained other documents that show the Army investigator assigned to look into Maseth’s electrocution blamed KBR for the death, stating that she believed the cause was “negligent homicide” and that there is “credible information that KBR’s negligence led to Maseth’s death.”

The revelations about the frequency of shocks on bases are found in the complete and detailed report that led to KBR’s citation for being in serious violation of its contract several months ago.

At that time, the Pentagon’s Defense Contract Management Agency gave KBR what is known as a “Level III Corrective Action Request.” That is issued only when a contractor is found in “serious non-compliance” and is just one step below the possibility of suspending or terminating a contract, Pentagon officials said.

While that violation citation was previously known, the report’s precise language and details of KBR’s alleged “failures” were not known until now.

The 45-page report alleges KBR had improper electrical wiring, grounding and overall electrical problems across Iraq.

“The government found systemic KBR failures to properly ground and bond facilities — failures that contributed to theater personnel receiving shocks in KBR maintained facilities on average once every three days” between September 2006 and July 31, 2008, the detailed report says.

That information, the report says, came from KBR’s own statistical records.

“The conditions of these facilities created Life, Health, Safety (LHS) conditions for the occupants. The lack of grounding and bonding, among other electrical deficiencies” were “identified and confirmed by three separate independent inspection teams” from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Army Combat Safety Center and a multinational force working with fire and electricity, the report states.

“Most facilities inspected had electrical deficiencies because KBR failed to consistently follow contract standards every time it constructed or emplaced a facility, inspected a facility, responded to a service order request, or performed maintenance and/or repairs on facilities, generators and utilities,” the report says.

Also, the report says, “the Government is unaware of any efforts undertaken by KBR to independently identify, assess, and implement corrective actions to its electrical support services or quality control inspection program as a result of the extensive number of electrical shock incidents … ”

Sen. Robert Casey, D-Pennsylvania, said his office has received numerous anecdotal reports of U.S. military personnel continuing to receive electric shocks.

“While KBR continues to assure the American people that it has completed its own investigations and has found no evidence of corporate wrongdoing, the emerging facts prove otherwise,” Casey said. “According to an internal investigation led by the Pentagon’s contract auditors, we now know that KBR failed to comply with basic contractual requirements even while being rewarded with billions of dollars by U.S. taxpayers.”

Casey called on the Pentagon “to treat this issue for the danger it represents.” The Defense Department, he said, “has taken some encouraging actions [but] it needs to do much more.”

“And it is high time that KBR begin to suffer real consequences for what I consider to be blatant contractual noncompliance,” Casey said. (Click HERE to go to CNN article)

Ms Sparky
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A Killer In The Ranks – EC&M Magazine Article

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EC&M is The Magazine of Electrical Design, Construction & Maintenance. My thanks to Tom Zind for a great article. Tom spotlighted the great work that Task Force Safe is doing, as well as obstacles they face. Great interviews and photos. Well Done!

To get to the article…Click HERE first

Then click “Contents” on the bar across the top

Then click “22 A Killer In The Ranks” It’s 6 pages. Be sure to arrow over. The article is pages 22-27.

Enjoy

Ms Sparky
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Level III CAR states KBR tracked 231 shock incidents

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Report: U.S. troops exposed to 231 shock incidents

By Robin Acton
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, January 29, 2009

U.S. troops in Iraq suffered electrical shocks about every three days in a two-year period surrounding the electrocution death of a Shaler Green Beret, according to an internal Defense Contract Management Agency report obtained by the Tribune-Review.

The 45-page document — a high-level request for corrective action generated last fall — found that Texas-based military contractor KBR Inc. failed to properly ground and bond its electrical systems, which contributed to soldiers “receiving shocks in KBR-maintained facilities on average once every three days since data was available in Sept. 2006.”

The agency determined that KBR “failed to meet basic requirements to identify life-threatening conditions on tanks, water pumps, electrical outlets and electrical panels.”

The report adds that government search results of a KBR-maintained database revealed that 231 electrical-shock incidents occurred in the period from September 2006 through July 31, 2008 — indicating that the activity continued long after the death of Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, who suffered cardiac arrest after stepping into his Baghdad shower on Jan. 2, 2008.

Records show Maseth was electrocuted when he turned on the water that flowed through metal pipes. The Army Criminal Investigation Division recently determined Maseth’s death was negligent homicide, rather than an accident as previously reported.

The Army named KBR and singled out two unidentified company supervisors for potential criminal liability. As yet, no charges have been filed.

Maseth is among at least 18 Americans — including 16 soldiers and two contractors — who have died of electrocution in Iraq since 2003. In October, Pfc. Justin Shults, 21, of Reading, was shocked and badly burned when he stepped onto metal steps attached to a shower trailer.

The Army said in a statement that the shock suffered by Shults was caused by an “improperly bonded electrical conduit pipe” on the ground.

The report indicates that KBR failed to correct and identify dozens of deficiencies in its contracted work for the government — even after repeated inspections revealed hazards. It adds that government inspectors found “serious National Electric Code violations associated with bonding and grounding of conductors which presented an electrical shock and fire hazard” in various structures throughout the Iraq theater, including a building identified as LSF1.

Maseth’s mother, of Allison Park, confirmed that her son lived in that building, which she said is also known as Legion Security Forces building 1. Harris, who has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against KBR, declined to comment on the report on the advice of her attorney.

Heather Browne, director of corporate communications for KBR Inc., released a statement that the company is not providing comment on the report, which has not been released publicly.

“KBR remains committed to the safety and security of all employees and those the company serves. We have fully cooperated with the government when issues have been raised about work in Iraq and we will continue to do so,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the report obtained by the Tribune-Review cites numerous instances in which deficiencies in electrical systems were reported to the contractor and went uncorrected.

The report indicates that male and female troops received shocks in showers, latrine buildings and other locations from loose wires, improper grounding and improper bonding of electrical lines. It adds that inspections last summer revealed that KBR personnel did not follow standard operating procedures and that the company failed to identify poor performance among its workers. (click HERE to go to the original article)

HERE is a link to the other I article I wrote about the Level III CAR

Stay tuned. I will be writing more about this Level III Corrective Action Request (CAR).

Ms Sparky
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KBR Must Be Mighty Desperate To Recruit From The Unions

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As most of you may know, I am a member of The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 48, Portland, Oregon.

As you may also know KBR is probably the biggest non-union contractor in the US. Unfortunately the IBEW does not have jurisdiction in Iraq and KBR can pretty much get away with whatever they want.

I just got a call from a buddy out of Local 103 in Boston. At this very moment they are having an informational meeting and KBR is trying to woo members of Local 103 into going to work for them in Iraq and Afghanistan.

There are some good hands out of 103 for sure. But KBR must be desperate if they are actively recruiting union electricians. They must figure they have alot to lose. And the electricians that are there are quitting at an alarming rate.

Personally, I would like to see the whole job go union. At the very least they need  Steward. Employees have no rights there.

I don’t tell people not to go to work for KBR. We need good people to take care of our troops. But, keep this in mind. KBR won’t hesitate to use your license against you. If you install something not in accordance with the NEC, even if you are told to do so. Even if the proper tools and material are not available and someone dies or is injured, who do you think KBR will throw under the bus? That’s right….you and your license. They will claim you knew better.

Don’t install it incorrectly even if they threaten to send you home. Don’t “pencil whip” the paperwork!!

Let me know how the meeting turns out and let me know if KBR is recruiting in your local.

Fraternally,
Sister Debbie Crawford
IBEW Local 48
Portland, Oregon

Press Release From Senators Dorgan and Casey On SSG Ryan Maseth

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Below, is the news release from today’s (January 27, 2009) press conference with Senators Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Bob Casey (D-PA) on electrocutions of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and the Pentagon’s failure to do anything to hold contractor KBR accountable. They released a letter to DOD Secretary Gates, which is also attached, requesting a meeting with him and the Mother of the U.S. soldier whose electrocution death was recently re-classified from “accidental” to “negligent homicide” by KBR.

SENATORS DEMAND ANSWERS FROM DOD ABOUT ELECTROCUTIONS OF SOLDIERS, WANT DEFENSE SECRETARY TO MEET WITH THEM AND MOTHER OF ELECTROCUTED SOLDIER ON CONTRACTOR ACCOUNTABILITY

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Two U.S. Senators today are requesting a meeting with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and the mother of a U.S. soldier who has been informed by an Army investigator that her son’s death by electrocution at his base in Baghdad has been re-classified by the Army from “accidental” to “negligent homicide” by contractor KBR and two of its supervisors.

U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) chaired a July 11, 2008, Senate Democratic Policy Committee hearing that looked into the death of Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth and 12 other U.S. soldiers electrocuted on Army bases in Iraq.  Following the hearing, Dorgan and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) requested that the Pentagon conduct a theatre-wide investigation into KBR’s work on electrical installations in Iraq.  In response, the Army conducted a review of the matter and, while asking KBR to improve its performance, continued to rely on KBR to inspect much of its own work and has not imposed any penalties on the company.

In response, the Army agreed to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter, but then decided to use KBR to perform much of the review.

Testimony at Dorgan’s hearing last July by former KBR employees disclosed that KBR hired unqualified third country nationals to do electrical wiring at U.S. military bases in Iraq.

Given the latest development, including possible negligent homicide charges against the contractor, Senators Dorgan and Casey have asked Defense Secretary Gates to meet with them and Maseth’s mother, , to discuss the process that the Department of Defense intends to follow to guarantee full accountability for any contractor misconduct that relates to the electrocutions of U.S. troops in Iraq.

Dorgan noted the Army originally told Harris her son was electrocuted because he carried an electrical appliance into the shower. The Army later retreated from that account, saying Staff Sgt. Maseth was electrocuted by wires hanging above the shower, an account that was also inaccurate.

“I believe DOD has been less than truthful to the families of soldiers who were electrocuted at military bases in Iraq because of shoddy contract work. It’s time for some straight talk about accountability,” Dorgan said.

“Those who receive contracts to serve our soldiers have an obligation to do so responsibly,” Dorgan said. “We want to know what Secretary Gates intends to do to ensure that contractors are acting responsibly, particularly in light of the Army’s reported finding that KBR and its supervisors may have been criminally negligent. We also want to know why the DOD has not pursued a process to debar contractors who are fleecing our taxpayers and putting soldiers at risk.”

“The news Cheryl Harris received from an Army CID that her son Ryan Maseth’s death has changed classification from ‘accidental’ to ‘negligent homicide’ and singles out not just two KBR employees, but the company itself, for potential criminal liability is a significant development,” said Senator Bob Casey.  “This revelation validates the perseverance of Cheryl Harris, Ryan’s mother, in seeking all the facts behind Ryan’s death.  We must not only ensure that full accountability is served in this case, but that the Pentagon is also doing all that it can to prevent future electrocutions of American personnel in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  We must put an end to our troops continuing to get put in harms way when they are doing something so simple as taking a shower.”

As Chairman of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, Dorgan has chaired 18 oversight hearings on contracting abuses and corruption in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The hearings exposed billions of dollars in wasteful spending and numerous accounts of U.S. soldiers, already serving in harm’s way, being put at grave risk due to shoddy work by contractors, and by unsafe water supplies provided by our troops by contractors who failed to do their jobs.

– END –

Senators say contractor (KBR) should be punished

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Senators say contractor should be punished

By KIMBERLY HEFLING – 1/27/2009

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two senators said Tuesday the Army hasn’t acted fast enough to fix electrical problems in Iraq that led to the electrocutions of U.S. troops.

Democratic Sens. Bob Casey from Pennsylvania and Byron Dorgan from North Dakota also said that Houston-based contractor KBR Inc. should be punished in some manner for allowing improper grounding of electrical wires in facilities it was maintaining.

“It shouldn’t take years for an investigation to take place before some action is taken to hold that contractor accountable,” Casey said at a Capitol Hill news conference. “This is basic contract compliance.”

Last week, The Associated Press reported the 2008 death of a soldier, Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, of Pittsburgh, which had been classified by an Army investigation as a “negligent homicide” caused by KBR and two of its supervisors. The investigation is currently under legal review by the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Va.

An Army spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment. An Army commander has said an electrical code was being created and wiring inspected in Iraq.

Besides Maseth, the Army has said that at least one other soldier died by electrocution while showering in Iraq. The Army has said it has deemed 14 deaths of U.S. soldiers as electrocutions, and is investigating two others as such. In eight of the cases, the soldiers made contact with power lines, but improper grounding of wires had been determined as a major cause in the other deaths, the Army has said.

A KBR spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Click HERE for link to AP article)

YES YES YES KBR needs to be punished, here are my recommendations.

1. Monetary fines to the DOD in the billions. Pay back the taxpayers for ripping them off!

2. Monetary compensation for every soldier injured or killed due to KBR’s negligence.

3. How about some criminal charges starting with William Utt and working our way on down! No charges for electricians. It’s not their fault they didn’t have tools, material or knowledgeable management.

We’re electricians not magicians!!

Way to go Senator Casey and Senator Dorgan…my two Faves!!

Ms Sparky