Dinner’s Ready!
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The US Defense Supply Center Philadelphia is exercising the 4th option year on a $64.5 million contract with US Foodservice Baltimore/ Washington in Severn, MD to provide food and beverages to US military facilities in Maryland, Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Delaware.

The 4th option year is worth a maximum of $19.4 million.

Under the contract, US Foodservice is providing food and beverages to the following US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, and US Coast Guard facilities…

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Tastes like (Parmesan) Chicken…

The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) in Philadelphia, PA issues contracts for American field rations, known as Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), and for Humanitarian Daily Rations (HDRs) used when providing aid in emergency situations abroad.

While there are reports that the French RCIR (Ration de Combat Individuelle Réchauffable) has superior trade value on the front lines, MREs are generally considered to be a significant improvement over earlier US rations. DID readers with a high fright threshold might wish to view a set of comparative photos of modern army rations from various militaries. Even if you knew nothing about China, you could guess that their soldiers are draftees – but scroll down in the post, as well as look at the link; things may be improving.

In the USA, see below for field anecdotes, including MREs as RPG defenses, and what happens when celebrity chefs try MREs. We also have contracts from FY 2007 – Present, including almost half a billion dollars in recent contracts…

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“Former Iraq Security Contractors Say Firm Bought Black Market Weapons, Swapped Booze for Rockets” says the ProPublica headline. They’re talking about a firm called Triple Canopy, a security contractor who replaced Blackwater (now Xe) as the US diplomatic service’s bodyguards in Iraq, and also had other contracts in theater to protect allied bases and installations, some of which were covered here.

Allegations and legal depositions state that the firm traded booze for weapons, and bought weapons and vehicles on the black market in Iraq between 2003-2004. At least one of those employees have expressed concern that the money used to buy these items may have ended up in the hands of Iraq’s Islamists, who were connected to criminal enterprises in Iraq at a number of different levels.

The article itself turns out to be more balanced than its headline might indicate, and the detailed accusations are linked to detailed responses; both are worth reading. Beginning with the revelation that significant responsibility for this state of affairs traces right back to the US State Department…

• State Department Self-Inflicted?
• Triple Canopy: Allegations & Approach
• Policy Issues
  
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Napoleon on Horseback
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The great French military strategist and political leader Napoleon once said that “an army marches on its stomach.” This is as true today as it was when Napoleon’s troops were marching toward Moscow.

To ensure that the US Army and the other US services are well fed, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) regularly awards contracts, some small and some large, to contractors to supply food.

DLA recently awarded up to $70.6 million to 3 contractors to supply food to the US Army, US Navy, and US Air Force…

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Naval Base San Diego
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US Foodservice in La Mirada, CA received a maximum $61 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity/ indefinite-delivery sole source contract for full line food distribution to San Diego-based US Navy and resupply ships. The contract runs through Oct 3/10. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia in Pennsylvania (SPM300-09-D-3312).

This contract is an extension of a previously awarded contract…

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Chopping Strawberries
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Sodexho Management in Gaithersburg, MD received a $78.9 million contract modification to provide food services to the US Marine Corps and manage and operate their mess halls in the Eastern US. To date, the overall contract (M00027-02-C-0001) value is $508 million.

Sodexho also operates USMC mess halls in the Western US under a similar contract (M00027-02-C-0002). The company received a $71.6 million contract modification for the Western US food service and mess hall management. To date, this contract value is $464.6 million. In total, the contractor operates 66 USMC mess halls across CONUS.

In the Eastern US, Sodexho operates mess halls at the following USMC facilities…

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Dinner’s Ready!
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North Carolina Business Enterprise Program (BEP) in Raleigh, NC received a $13.9 million cost-plus-award-fee contract for full food services at Fort Bragg, NC. The contract covers food service at the fort through Aug 31/12. For the contract, 1 bid was solicited with 1 bid received. Mission & Installation Contracting Command at Fort Bragg manages the contract (W91247-09-C-0035).

BEP is a program of the North Carolina Division of Services for the Blind to provide employment opportunities to the blind and visually impaired citizens of North Carolina through the operation of vending and on-site food service locations throughout the state…

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Sysco Food Services of Seattle in Kent, WA won a maximum $7.3 million firm-fixed price, indefinite quantity full-line food distribution contract modification to provide food services to US Army, US Air Force, and US Job Corps facilities in Alaska.

The original proposal was Web solicited with 3 responses. This contract is exercising the 4th option year of a 5-year contract, which includes 4 one-year option periods. The date of performance completion is Aug 26/10. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia manages the contract (SPM300-08-D-3160).

Dinner’s Ready!
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US Foodservice/Joseph Webb Division in Vista, CA received a maximum $51.9 million firm-fixed-price, prime vendor contract for full-line food distribution to US military facilities in California. The proposal was originally Web solicited with 3 responses received by the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) in Philadelphia, PA (SPM300-08-D-3206).

This contract is exercising the 3rd option year period. The date of performance completion is Aug 17/10. The original contract, awarded in 2005, had a $33.4 million base year with 4 one-year options, with a total potential value of $167 million. The contractor will provide food distribution to the following California facilities…

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US Naval Academy Gate
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Barton Malow Co. in Linthicum, MD won a $40.9 million firm-fixed price contract to renovate the King Hall Galley and midshipmen food service operations at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. The company will also provide temporary food service facilities while the galleys undergo renovations.

The company expects to complete contruction by August 2011. Funds are provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This contract was competitively negotiated via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with 10 proposals received by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command in Washington, DC (N40080-09-C-0165).