Steve Peacock's U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor

How Much Did it Cost to Send VPOTUS Biden to Paris for a Day?

 

The U.S. Department of State spent $585,000 on hotel rooms and racked up $322,000 on intra-country transporation costs for Vice President Joe Biden's recent trip to Paris, according to contracting documents that U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor located through routine database research.

Despite the availability of contracting awards granted to Hotel Intercontinental Paris Le Grand and Biribin Limousines, respectively, no other procurement documents currently are available. Consequently, it remains unknown just how much State spent on Biden's European mission, which also included stops in Berlin and London.

According to the White House Blog:

In Paris, French President Francois Hollande hosted a lunch for the Vice President to discuss the French and African mission in Mali and their broader counterterrorism cooperation in the region. The two also exchanged views on Syria, Iran’s nuclear program, the Eurozone, and the U.S.-E.U. economic partnership.

A verbatim transcript of his remarks revealed Biden struggling to explain "on behalf of President Obama how much he looks forward -- how much he looks forward to working with you and France, because there’s not a single issue that affects us on the international -- in the international arena that does not -- where our interests do not intersect.  And we look forward to a very, very close relationship between our administrations."

Biden in Munich delivered remarks at the 49th Munich Security Conference, whre he: 

held a series of bilateral meeting with world leaders.  His speech stressed the continued importance the U.S. places on the transatlantic relationship…

In his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Vice President Biden emphasized the importance of the two countries working together in the interest of international peace and security, including in Syria.  The Vice President noted that while the United States and Russia will continue to have serious differences - including, among other things, on human rights and Russia's recent ban on U.S. adoptions - U.S. and Russian leadership is necessary to achieve practical solutions to the challenges facing the world today.

He also met separately with UN and Arab League Joint Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, and Moaz al-Khatib, the president of the Syrian Opposition Council, to discuss bringing about a transition that leads to a peaceful, inclusive and democratic Syria, where the rights of all Syrians are protected.

Then in London, according to the WH Blog:

the Vice President held meetings with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Prime Minister David Cameron and participated in a meeting of the United Kingdom’s National Security Council.  The meetings focused on array of economic and foreign policy issues, particularly Afghanistan and Pakistan since the Prime Minister had just hosted a UK/Pakistan/Afghanistan summit a few days before the Vice President arrived in London.

Source documents:

Contract award #SFR63013D0004.

Contract award #SFR63013D0003

AFRICOM Transport No-Bid Contract-Extension Awarded

Transportation of U.S. troops and cargo between Germany and Africa just became more lucrative for Cartersville, Ga.-based Phoenix Air Group, which yesterday—without needing to compete for the endeavor—received a six-month contract extension to provide such services.

The U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) in 2009 initially selected Phoenix Air to provide “Fixed Wing Airlift Services” through March 31, 2012. The Firm Fixed Price Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract, then-valued at $26 million, has been modified to reflect the new delivery date through September 30. It did not disclose the cost of the contract modification.

TRANSCOM explained in “A Justification For Other Than Full And Open Competition,” or JOFOC, document that this action was necessary in order to provide continued, critical assistance to the U.S. African Command. AFRICOM, as it is known, “conducts sustained security engagement through military-to-military programs, military-sponsored activities, and other military operations as directed to promote a stable and secure African environment in support of U.S. foreign policy.”

Other vendors—specifically, Aerodynamics, Inc., and Berry Aviation Ltd.—“expressed interest” in competing for this acquisition, responding to market research begun late last year; however, those companies must wait for future opportunities while their eligibility is determined. TRANSCOM claimed that if it launched a new solicitation:

Unacceptable delays will occur and a wide range of programs and activities that help African states meet their goals of building capable and professional militaries that are subordinate to civilian authority, respect human rights, and adhere to the rule of law will be put in jeopardy, if modification to extend the current contract is not executed.

Aircraft used on behalf of the Stuttgart-based AFRICOM carry upwards of eight passengers and 4,800 pounds of cargo for unspecified missions across the Command’s area of responsibility, according to the document.

RELATED: U.S. Military Supplies for Africa Ops Surge

FOR MORE REGIONAL COVERAGE, SEE THE MONITOR'S AFRICA PAGE.

Air Force Fuel Supply and Storage to be Outsourced Around Globe

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) plans to outsource a chunk of its global fuel supply and storage services to industry, though the agency has not disclosed the exact magnitude of those future contracts,  U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor has discovered. According to several presolicitation notices dated Dec. 5 and discovered though a routine search of the FedBizOpps database, the Monitor has learned that significant opportunities to take over such DLA operations on behalf of the U.S. Air Force are on the horizon.

DLA-Energy anticipates releasing a Request for Proposals (RFP) in about 30-60 days for "Government-Owned, Contractor-Operated (GOCO) Aviation and Ground Fuel Bulk Storage Services" in the following global facilities:

Osan Air Base, Korea (Solicitation #SP0600-12-R-0501);

Andersen Air Force Base, Guam (Solicitation #SP0600-12-R-0505);

Kadena Air Base, Japan (Solicitation #SP0600-12-R-0504);

Incirlik Air Base, Turkey (Solicitation Number #SP0600-12-R-0502);

Ramstein Air Base, Germany (Solicitation#SP0600-12-R-0509);

Lajes Field, Azores (Portugal) (Solicitation #SP0600-12-R-0510);

Misawa Air Base, Japan (Solicitation #SP0600-12-R-0503);

Domestic U.S.  sites include:

Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska (Solicitation #SP0600-12-R-0511);

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska (Solicitation #SP0600-12-R-0500); and:

Defense Fuel Support Point (DFSP), San Pedro, CA.  (Solicitation #SP060012R0517)

The solicitations stated little else other than declaring that:

The Contractor's responsibility under the resulting contract will be to operate and maintain bulk storage facility to ensure safe and accurate receipt, storage, transfer, and issue of petroleum products under their control.  The contractor will not be required to perform alongside aircraft refueling, truck deliveries, handling cryogenics, operating automated service stations, or other unrelated tasks not specified in the Performance Work Statement.

Most of the above documents indicated that DLA anticipates awarding five-year contracts beginning 2012-2013, depending on location. Additionally, the agency will hold preproposal conferences and site visits for interested contractors at the respective sites.