[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 8] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 10919-10921] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]EARMARK DECLARATION ______ HON. MIKE ROGERS of alabama in the house of representatives Wednesday, May 21, 2008 Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Madam Speaker, in accordance with the Republican Conference standards regarding Member initiatives, I rise today to provide a description for how funds authorized in response to my requests submitted to the House Armed Services Committee will be allocated. In making those requests, I submitted a financial. certification letter to Chairman Skelton which accompanied my requests, and included the following information: I hereby certify that to the best of my knowledge these requests (1) are not directed to any entity or program that will be named after a sitting Member of Congress; (2) are not intended to be used by any entity to secure funds for other entities unless the use of funding is consistent with the specified purpose of the earmark; and (3) meet or exceed all statutory requirements for matching funds where applicable. I further certify that should any of the requests I have submitted be included in the bill, I will place a statement in the Congressional Record describing how the funds in each of the included requests will be spent and justifying the use of federal taxpayer funds. In order to fully comply with these standards, Madam Speaker, I hereby submit a description of how the funds authorized in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 will be used for the projects to follow. Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (Alabama). Bill Number: H.R. 5658, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. Account: RDT&E. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: THY Enterprises, Inc. Address of Requesting Entity: 440 Hillabee St., Alexander City, AL 35010 USA. Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $2,000,000 to continue research and development of the Next Generation of Tactical Environmental Clothing (NGTEC) being conducted with the AFSOC. Approximately, $1,000,000 is for research and development of a lighter, quieter, waterproof material; $400,000 for engineering and manufacturing; $75,000 for laboratory analysis; $25,000 for field assessment; and $500,000 for risk and plan management. Special Operations Command (AFSOC) Special Tactics Teams and Combat Controllers operate in environments where the extreme effects of physical exertion over difficult terrain result in hypothermia and other related conditions that degrade mission effectiveness. Current clothing articles provided to our combat airmen do not offer the best protection or prevention of these debilitating conditions. Recent developments in fibers research indicates that better materials can be made available for use in under and outer garments to greatly reduce the effects of moisture on the body. These capabilities, which now include a thermally efficient wicking concept, combined with water-proof and tear resistant fibers should produce a garment with superior protective characteristics. This technology is at hand, and THY's early prototypes have been field tested and found to resolve several of the shortcomings highlighted by troops from cold weather training exercises in Montana, and from the current combat theaters of operation. Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (Alabama). Bill Number: H.R. 5658, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. Account: RDT&E, Army. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Auburn University. Address of Requesting Entity: 202 Samford Hall, Auburn, AL 36849 USA. Description of Request: Earmark additional funds $1,000,000 to PE 0203735A of the DoD Combat Vehicle Improvement Program for Auburn University in FY 2009. The DoD Combat Vehicle program provided funds of $1,000,000 to Auburn University in FY 2008 to initiate the project. All of the $1,000,000 requested will be used by Auburn University to research and develop sensors for the detection of oil breakdown in the Abrams tank and associated military vehicles. Since this is an ITAR DoD restricted project, no corporate or other non-federal funding is anticipated for this project. Total projected cost of the project is $6,000,000. This research project benefits the public and non-profit segments of our economy (citizens and government). Implementation of condition based maintenance on military vehicles will improve vehicle readiness, reduce personnel injury, increase battlefield efficiency and result in a reduction of maintenance costs. No congressionally appropriated funding has been received by this project to date. Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (Alabama). Bill Number: H.R. 5658, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. Account: RDT&E, Army. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: GKN Westland Aerospace. Address of Requesting Entity: 3951 Alabama Highway 229, Tallassee, Alabama 36078. Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $2,000,000 for the development of a composite floor sub-structure to be demonstrated on the Black Hawk helicopter. Approximately $75,000 is for program management, $50,000 is for engineering planning, $200,000 is for tooling, $200,000 for design engineering, $75,000 is for material purchase, $500,000 is for generation of material mechanical property testing for use in design/analysis of the test structure, $400,000 is for process development through part manufacture, $500,000 is for structure testing. Current and new helicopter designs are experiencing weight increases through the addition new electronic systems that enhance the performance and effectiveness of the aircraft. Recent DoD requested changes to the Black Hawk helicopter (H-60) includes Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS) and Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) configurations. Studies have identified the aircraft airframe as the area for potential weight reduction. Lightweight airframe development has been conducted in SARAP (Survivable Affordable Repairable Airframe Program) through the demonstration of a lighter, low cost cabin for the Black Hawk. As part of this technology demonstrator cabin, a floor sub- structure used thermoplastic composite materials to reduce the weight by almost 25% over the baseline metal structure while, at the same time, reduced costs. Further development is required to take full advantage of the savings that composite materials technology can offer. Work for this program will occur in Montgomery and Tallassee, AL. Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (Alabama). Bill Number: H.R. 5658, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. Account: RDT&E, Air Force. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Davidson Technologies. Address of Requesting Entity: 530 Discovery Drive, Huntsville, Alabama 35806 Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $10M to finalize development and validation of the Space Control Test Capability for the United States Air Force. Of the funds provided approximately $5 million dollars or \1/2\ of the available funding is for final development of a Monte-Carlo version of SCTC which will join the already developed closed-form version to give a new combined capability to analyze important transient command/control situations (e.g. satellite outages). The combined closed-form/Monte-Carlo version provides both [[Page 10920]] closed-form steady-state and transient-event analysis capabilities builds upon Air Force selected analytical engines and is already in the hands of the users in support of Terminal Fury. The Monte-Carlo addition completes the required analytical suite. Approximately $5 million dollars or \1/2\ of the funding is for tool validation. When completed, the combined closed-form/Monte-Carlo SCTC tool is the only tool of its type and caliber in the Air Force analytical inventory. Completion of this combined closed-form/Monte-Carlo tool in GFY 2009 is needed to provide quantitative data support for acquisition decisions. The tool will provide decision time-lag and throughput data for combination steady-state and transient situations to quantify performance of alternative system implementations. The Air Force will use these performance predictors to make sound, quantitative-based acquisition decisions for upcoming space systems in areas such as OCS, DCS, SSA and communications now and in the future, providing additional AF funding to enhance operational capabilities as required. Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (Alabama). Bill Number: H.R. 5658, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. Account: RDT&E, Army. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Frontier Technology, Inc. Address of Requesting Entity: 75 Aero Camino Suite A, Goleta, CA 93117, for work in Alabama. Description of Request: May it be noted for the record that a technical error was made and it is anticipated that the remedy will occur in the conference report. The correct Identification Number, 0603005A, Line 33 should be substituted for the incorrect Identification Number that was originally given, 0206623M, Line 181. The Enhanced Military Vehicle Maintenance System identifies difficult to detect failure modes that must be serviced while the vehicle is undergoing maintenance. It models vehicle conditions to ensure that the vehicle is restored to an optimum state of operation prior to return to service. This cost effective technology can be modified for various military vehicles to detect problems not typically reported using threshold or trend systems. It can detect problems before they happen, preventing breakdowns in battlefield environments. The system will successfully verify that vehicles repaired at the Depot have been restored to an optimum state of operation prior to redeployment. The Enhanced Military Vehicle Maintenance System provides the cutting edge, cost effective technology that can help ensure more rapid and reliable deployment of critical military vehicles during this period when our equipment is under extreme and extended use. The funding for the program is broken into two components: system analysis, development, integration, validation and training, and field installation, optimization and support. The first incorporates salaries and O/H (FTI and Subcontractors, e.g. Auburn University), materials and supplies (sensors, communications and computer equipment), with a subtotal of $3,000,000. The later includes site specific licenses and equipment (sensors, communications and computer equipment), salaries, expenses, and OIH (FTI and Subcontractors, e.g. Auburn University), with a subtotal of $1,000,000. The total earmark is $4,000,000. Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (Alabama). Bill Number: H.R. 5658, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. Account: Aircraft Procurement, Air Force. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Alliant Techsystems, Inc. (ATK). Address of Requesting Entity: 5050 Lincoln Drive, Edina, MN, 55436, for work in Alabama. Description of Request: The RC-26B performs critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions in support of national disaster response by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Air National Guard, and in direct support of Special Operations Forces. The Air National Guard (ANG) operates a fleet of eleven RC-26B aircraft that provide support to individual states for disaster relief and counter-drug missions. The RC-26B platform provided excellent, real-time imagery during the 2007 extended fire season and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. As the demands for the RC-26Bs proven utility increased, non-availability of the platform have prevented ANG crews from performing their domestic assigned missions. Special Operations Command funded the modification of five RC-26B aircraft--to provide ISR missions in support of deployed operations. With five RC-26B aircraft deployed in support of missions outside of the continental United States, an availability vacuum at the state level has occurred. The remaining six RC-26B aircraft (from Mississippi, Arizona, Florida, Texas, West Virginia and New York) are not sufficient to support the disaster relief and counter-narcotics missions of both the ANG and DHS/CBP. Without additional FY2009 funding to upgrade the RC-26B aircraft, the ability of the ANG to respond to future DOD ISR, DHS/CBP, counter-narcotics and disaster relief missions will be impaired, even as the demands for this low density asset increases. Maintenance work, operational and functional flight testing will occur in Montgomery, AL. The program will provide improved military capability to fulfill an unmet requirement or need identified by the Department of Defense. The $3.0M funding is needed for concept development, design, integration and flight verification (one aircraft only) of the following technologies that would enhance the current Block 20 RC-26B performance and effectiveness. Specific capability improvements would include: $0.5 M--Incorporation of digital video recorders capable of recording the increased data rates associated with the new digital imagery; $1.75 M--Incorporation of new digital EO/IR frame camera capability to replace the obsolete cameras eliminated from the prior modification; $0.75M--Incorporation of a new high capacity down link system that can manage the transfer of the increased data flow from the airborne RC-26B to a ground station; The above capabilities would need to be incorporated at the same time because of the large cost associated with the integration/installation of the aircraft subsystems identified above. Additional funding would be required to install this capability into the remaining Air National Guard fleet. Funding execution and expenditure plans shall be developed and approved by the responsible program manager for the Department of Defense, and Air National Guard, pursuant to applicable federal acquisition laws, regulations and guidelines. Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (Alabama). Bill Number: H.R. 5658, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. Account: Aircraft Procurement, Army. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: United Technologies Corporation. Address of Requesting Entity: 1401 Eye Street, NW #600, Washington, DC 20005, for the Alabama National Guard. Description of Request: The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is an essential capability of the National Guard. It provides units in every state with a multi-mission aircraft for search & rescue, utility lift, disaster relief and medical evacuation. The Army National Guard (ARNG) is authorized 782 Black Hawk aircraft, but is short of this authorization by almost 100 aircraft. This shortage requires ARNG units to loan or transfer Black Hawks in support deployments, training or state missions, resulting in a higher usage rate of available airframes. Additionally, more than 500 of the 782 National Guard aircraft are older UH-60A models, with an average age of approximately 25 years. The Army is procuring over 1200 UH-60M Black Hawks for utility, special operations and MEDEVAC missions to replace the aging UH-60A from operational units by 2016. The Alabama National Guard uses these helicopters for disaster recovery. The funding may have a small manufacturing impact in Alabama. The Army acquired 33 UH-60M Black Hawks by the end of FY07, and from FY09 to FY13, the Army plans to procure an additional 300 UH-60M Black Hawks (70 of those aircraft are programmed for ARNG units). However, without an accelerated procurement of the UH-60M; the Army National Guard will be operating more than 400 UH-60A helicopters beyond 2020. The ARNG and the Active Army developed a program to support the continued modernization of the ARNG Black Hawk fleet. Unfortunately, this program is not fully funded. The ARNG plan is to accelerate the fielding of UH-60M Black Hawks by 10 aircraft per year. Although the Active Army has programmed UH-60A recapitalization for the ARNG with Operations and Maintenance (O&M) funds, which includes an airframe life extension, fleet-wide product improvements and the replacement of components, the UH-60A to L upgrade is not funded. The UH-60L Black Hawk is more economical to operate and has 1000 lbs of additional lift than the UH-60A. The desired rate of UH-60 A to L upgrades is 38 per year. Funding the UH-60 A to L upgrade will significantly improve the Black Hawk fleet, and assure that ARNG units are ready, deployable, and available to protect our national interests both abroad and at home. This ARNG aviation initiative has been identified by the Chief of the National Guard Bureau (CNGB) as FY09 ``Essential 10--Top 25'' unfunded priorities. The funding for this request is $5 million. The UH-60L Upgrades are $1.5 [[Page 10921]] million each and include: UH-60L Improved Durability Gearbox; UH-60L Flight control upgrades; UH-60L (IVHMS) Integrated Vehicle Health Maintenance System; UH-60L Overhead rescue hoist provisions; UH-60L Overhead Rescue Hoist; UH-60L Rescue Hoist Cable Guard; UH-60L Digital engine control unit; UH-60L Hydro mechanical unit; UH-60L Signal data converter; UH-60L Cargo hook upgrade to 9000 Ibs. Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (Alabama). Bill Number: H.R. 5658, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. Account: RDT&E, Army. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Honeywell International, Inc. Address of Requesting Entity: 101 Columbia Road, Morristown, NJ 07962, for work in Alabama. Description of Request: Conditioned Based Maintenance (CBM) is a set of maintenance capabilities and technologies aimed at performing ``just-in-time'' maintenance versus ``after-the-fact'' maintenance. CBM improves reliability by increasing predictive maintenance while decreasing corrective maintenance. Fleet Mission Readiness merges individual onboard reporting, diagnostics reasoning, and trend assessment with decision support tools that aggregate individual performance into fleet assessments. Honeywell estimates that the $4 million requested for the ``Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Conditioned Based Maintenance: Fleet Mission Readiness'' project would be broken down as follows: 80% software engineering and development ($3,200,000); 10% testing ($400,000); and 10% evaluation and certification ($400,000). The Army has already invested $250 M to implement CBM for the Future Combat Systems (FCS) program to include Automated Reasoning software for the FCS fleet using Honeywell technologies. These same technologies can be spiraled into tactical wheeled vehicle fleets with a small investment to achieve the same 30% reductions in maintenance costs projected for the FCS fleet. This funding would be used to adapt Fleet Mission Readiness technologies from FCS to the tactical wheeled vehicle fleet to provide timely and accurate information for the Anniston Army Depot (ANAD) personnel deployed around the world in support of the warfighter. Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (Alabama). Bill Number: H.R. 5658, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. Account: MILCON, Army. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Congressman Mike Rogers. Address of Requesting Entity: Anniston Army Depot, 7 Frankford Avenue, Anniston, AL 36201. Description of Request: This earmark provides $1,463,000 for the Lake Yard Interchange. The funding will be used to construct an interchange and inspection building in the ammunition and explosives classification (Lake Yard) area of the Anniston Army Depot. This includes the move of ammunition classification from Turner Yard to the Lake Yard. Additionally, the site utilities will include electrical power, information technology, water, septic tank/field lines. The railroad track work will include new track for the interchange and spur. Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (Alabama). Bill Number: H.R. 5658, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. Account: MILCON, Army National Guard. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Congressman Mike Rogers. Address of Requesting Entity: Alabama National Guard, 1720A Congressman W.L. Dickinson Drive, Montgomery, AL 36109. Description of Request: The $200,000 earmark will be used toward Project #010263, a project currently in the Future Years Defense Program for 2012. In the FYDP in FY2012, the complete project is budgeted for $15,267,000.00. The increase in total project cost is due to the updated DOD Facility Pricing Guide dated 2 July 2007. The updated FY09 cost is $20,205,000. If the project is left in the FYDP for FY12, the cost will need to be revised to $21.3 M. This project is for the Readiness Center Phase II of the Ft. McClellan Training Center. The construction will provide for an additional 112,375 square feet to the facility. Phase I is currently under construction 96,195 square feet for a total of 208,571 square feet when both phases are complete. The facility is required to house nine units with a required strength of 1,035 personnel. The 167th Theater Support Command will move from Birmingham to Anniston and be stationed in this facility when Phase I is completed in FY09. Phase II was programmed in the FYDP for FY10 and was pushed out last year to FY12. Nearly half (42%) of the 167th TSC administrative space in the facility is being built in Phase II. This space is critical for the 167th TSC in meeting the unit's CENTCOM mission and training objectives. If the project stays in the FYDP for FY12, it will be FY14 before Phase II is completed, five years after the unit moves from Birmingham to Anniston. This will have an adverse effect if personnel are not provided with adequate facilities to accomplish mission and training objectives. The lack of proper and adequate training, storage, and administrative areas could impair the attainment of required mobilization readiness levels for the unit and the daily support efforts for CENTCOM. The site of the project is on federal property. Approved by the Joint Services Reserve Component Facility Board 6/27/07. ____________________