» 2009 » December Ms Sparky

Why isn’t the DoD removing Dyncorp from Afghanistan?

Posted on: December 21st, 2009 at 1:14 pm — by Ms Sparky

We all remember Kosovo. Why is the DoD allowing Dyncorp to bid at all?

Where in the hell is the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) in Kandahar? Why have they refused to do anything about this issue of Dyncorp not paying their employees as agreed to? American expats have not been paid at all or have not been paid as agreed to. Some who have complained are being told by Dyncorp in-theater management to keep their mouths shut about it.

Foreign Nationals have not been paid as agreed. Some have been paid cash in theater. This was not agreed to and puts them at great risk for theft and assault and does their families no good in Bangalore or where ever they’re from.

Why is this not being stopped immediately. Months have gone by and Dyncorp still can not get this pay issue right. As much as I despise KBR, at least they paid their people on time and were prompt in correcting errors.

Now is the time for the DoD to “man up”, admit you made a mistake and issue a Level IV Corrective Action Request (CAR) to Dyncorp, kick them to the curb and award Fluor or KBR the Logistics support for the Afghanistan-South Area of Responsibility. This is Dyncorp’s Task Order 4 – $643.5M for the one-year base plus four one year options with a total evaluated value of $5.874 billion. Dyncorp has already lost its partner support from Agility due to indictments. Dyncorp does not deserve one more penny of this contract. And it would appear at this point even KBR is superior to Dyncorp in Afghanistan. (Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in Agility/PWC/GCC, GOV. CONTRACTORS, LOGCAP-Dyncorp, Reports & Investigations. Tags: Afghanistan, Commission on Wartime Contracting, CWC, DCAA*, DCMA*, Defense Contract Audit Agency*, Defense Contract Management Agency*, DoJ*, DynCorp*, LOGCAP Managers, U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ). 119 Comments »

Selling their souls to sole sourcing sparks another KBR sub-contractor investigation

Posted on: December 21st, 2009 at 6:49 am — by Ms Sparky

This article was first published in Germany on Dec 10, 2009 and has been translated from German to English for this article (this is my disclaimer):

SST Truck Iraq - Unknown operators dumping raw sewage

Services worth millions in Afghanistan

German armed forces awarded contracts without advertising

German armed forces must justify themselves for procurements worth millions for their mission in Afghanistan. For years according to the information of NDRInfo German Bundeswehr contracted the service provider Ecolog without tendering. The official’s association of the German armed forces VBB sees the ministry of defense in the duty.

By Christoph Heinzle and Benjamin Grosskopff, NDRInfo

For their ISAF camps in Afghanistan German armed forces have awarded for years orders worth millions to a private service provider without tendering, North German radio station NDRInfo reported. Besides, employees of the commissioned Dusseldorf company Ecolog AG are or were investigated by international authorities because of the suspicion of drug offence and money laundering. Germans never looked into the relations to Ecolog in detail according to an insider: “One can have an interest to get to know his business partner – but the armed forces never had this interest according to my observation.” (Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in Agility/PWC/GCC, GOV. CONTRACTORS, KBR Contract, KBR Investigations, LOGCAP III - KBR, Reports & Investigations. Tags: Agility/PWC/GCC, Destani, Ecolog, KBR Sub-Contractors, Reports & Investigations, Retired General's Club, Steven Arnold. 5 Comments »

Ms Sparky’s Countdown to Christmas ’09….4 days left

Posted on: December 21st, 2009 at 1:00 am — by Ms Sparky

This is the eight post in my Countdown to Christmas ’09 featuring some of the most amazing choreographed Christmas light displays around the country. This elaborate Christmas light display is choreographed to the song “Joy” by Apollo 100 and is located in Valencia, CA.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Ms Sparky

Posted in Holiday Tribute To Soldiers. Tags: Christmas, Christmas Countdown '09, Holidays*. No Comments »

KBR manager dumbfounded by rules and regs???

Posted on: December 20th, 2009 at 11:18 am — by Ms Sparky

New JBB East Side Post Office Dedicated to Fallen Postal Employees
13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
Story by Sgt. Ryan Twist
Date: 12.19.2009

Wiley Fletcher (photo location unknown)

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Seven Soldiers and two civilians were honored for their vital roles in postal operations during a dedication ceremony Dec. 17 for the new facility at the east side post office at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

Capt. David W. Laes, commander of the 847th Human Resources Company out of Fort Snelling, Okla., with the 90th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), said the Soldiers and civilians who voluntarily give their time in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom are proud American citizens.

Laes, a St. Paul, Minn., native, said the Soldiers’ and civilians’ brave and vital tasks create a stable and secure environment for communities worldwide. (Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in GOV. CONTRACTORS, LOGCAP III - KBR. Tags: Leesville, LOGCAP, LOGCAP Managers, Wiley Fletcher*. 12 Comments »

Ms Sparky’s Countdown to Christmas ’09….5 days left

Posted on: December 20th, 2009 at 1:00 am — by Ms Sparky

This is the seventh post in my Countdown to Christmas ’09 featuring some very cool choreographed Christmas light displays around the country. This house is located in Reno, NV and is choreographed to Carol of the Bells. That seems to be a popular song to use. Whoever recorded this should have been a little higher, if you watch at the bottom of the screen you can see the cars drive by.

(Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in Holiday Tribute To Soldiers. Tags: Christmas, Christmas Countdown '09, Holidays*. 2 Comments »

Burn pit data worthless, expert says

Posted on: December 19th, 2009 at 3:50 pm — by Ms Sparky

Burn pit at Abu Ghraib

By Kelly Kennedy – Staff writer
Posted : Friday Dec 18, 2009 17:27:31 EST

The airman who first raised health concerns over burn pits at Joint Base Balad in Iraq says the Defense Department data — which officials used to say the burn pits cause no known long-term health effects — is worthless.

And Air Force Lt. Col Darrin Curtis, a bioenvironmental flight commander who retired in November, is the one who created the plan to collect the air specimens near the plume.

“You could only sample so much,” he said Friday. “I think it’s more than difficult; it’s impossible. It would cost as much to bring in incinerators as it would to do an adequate study.”

When they set up the sampling equipment, he said the smoke flew up in a 90-degree plume away from the air collectors. The equipment instead collected much cleaner air. (Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in Burn Pit Lawsuits, Burn Pits, CHEMICAL AND OTHER EXPOSURES, DBA-AIG, George Lundy vs KBR - class action, GOV. CONTRACTORS, LAWSUITS, LOGCAP III - KBR. Tags: Burn Pits. 3 Comments »

Military: Burn pits could cause long-term damage to troops

Posted on: December 19th, 2009 at 3:38 pm — by Ms Sparky

Smoke from Balad burn pits behind hanger

By Adam Levine, CNN Pentagon Producer
December 18, 2009 8:36 a.m. EST

Washington (CNN) — The military is backing off its previous position and acknowledging that some troops exposed to the burning of refuse on military bases could be susceptible to long-term health effects.

Since the issue first arose two years ago, Pentagon health officials have insisted that, based on its analysis, troops who were near burn pits at Joint Base Balad in Iraq — the largest base in that country — faced no long-term health hazards. That covered most of the troops who passed through the base. (Read the rest of the story here…)