Study: Moving Navy ships will take a financial toll study finds

Three Navy ships leaving Hampton Roads for Mayport Naval Station in Florida will take with them paychecks, repair work and spending power that add up to 5,220 jobs and $590 million of the region's annual gross product, according to the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced Friday that the ships, which were due to relocate to Mayport in 2015, will be going south much sooner. The New York, an amphibious transport dock ship, will leave in 2013. The following year, the amphibious assault ship Iwo Jima and the Fort McHenry, a dock landing ship, will depart.

About 1,800 of the jobs are held by sailors aboard the ships, according to the commission. The others will come from ship maintenance work and the trickle-down effect of less money being spent on goods and services by the crews, the Navy and the military contractors.

While the estimated loss is less than 1 percent of the region's $83 billion gross product, commission officials say the ship departures are significant.

The analysis sheds light on what happens when ships leave for a new homeport, said Greg Grootendorst, a Planning District Commission economist.

The Navy has sought for years to move a Norfolk-based aircraft carrier to Mayport as part of an effort to disperse the carrier fleet, but Virginia's congressional delegation has blocked the move. Economists have estimated that a carrier contributes 6,000 jobs and $425 million in annual revenue to the local economy.

Dwight Farmer, the commission's executive director, said that as the Pentagon begins to make budget cuts and considers base closings, the region must do a better job of playing to its strengths, including its deep natural harbor, strong ties to the Navy and proximity to Washington.

"We probably excel as a place where you want to consolidate," Farmer said.

Bill Bartel, 757-446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com

What Sequestration Means

The following appeared as a Letter to the Editor in the May 4th Virginian-Pilot

What sequestration means

 In the summer of 2011, a congressional committee was formed to find $1.2 trillion in spending reductions and revenue increases in the federal budget. The committee could not reach an agreement, so in January 2013 automatic spending cuts will go into effect. Roughly $100 billion each year, for 10 years, must be cut from the federal budget. Half the funds will come from national security, and the other half from all other federal agencies.

National security providers, which have a significant presence in Hampton Roads, will begin feeling the effects of these cuts by this summer. In the private sector, companies will begin layoffs in preparation for deeper cuts. By the fall, sequestration will begin in earnest and will be felt across our region.

 On May 14, Rep. Randy Forbes of Virginia Beach and others from Congress will be holding a listening session at the Chesapeake Conference Center. Reserve your spot here: defendingourdefenders.eventbrite.com. Your voice will be heard. After you attend this gathering, contact your elected leaders in Congress and demand that sequestration be rolled back.

Rear Adm. Craig R. Quigley, USN (Ret.) Executive director Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance Norfolk

26th Annual VSRF Golf Tournament (All 144 Golfer slots are FULL - Sponsorships are still available)

All 144 Golfer slots are FULL - Sponsorships are still available!  For information on a waiting list, please contact Leigh Kennedy at (757)215-2550 or e-mail:  lkennedy@earl-ind.com

26th Annual VSRF Golf Tournament

When: Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Place: Bayville Golf Club, 4137 First Court Rd., Virginia Beach, VA 23455, www.BayvilleGolf Club.com
Time:  Registration: 10am to 12:30pm……Lunch Begins:  11am…..Tee Time:  12:30pm

Join us at the beautiful and challenging Bayville Golf Club in Virginia Beach, a short distance just off Shore Drive at the site of a spacious 268-acre former dairy farm, open to capricious winds and salt air of the nearby Chesapeake Bay.

All proceeds benefit the Virginia Ship Repair Foundation, an IRS 501(c)(3) Education Foundation, and donations are tax deductible. YOUR foundation focuses on the ship repair future workforce and incumbent training. This event is the organization’s principal way to raise funds for this important industry work.

Registrations fill up quickly!!  Please go to the link below to register.

Register or Purchase Sponorship Packages

HiPer Craft 2012 To Discuss Navy and Coast Guard Acquisition

The American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) is proud to host the High Performance Craft Expo (HiPer Craft) 2012 on June 26-27, 2012 at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center. This special event will focus on suppliers, operators, maintainers and equipment vendors in the high performance boat and craft community.

Potential Service Contract Act Change

The May 3, 2012, Federal Register contains a proposed Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) change that implements Presidential Executive Order 13495 of January 30, 2009.  This potential change would affect any contractor or subcontractor holding a contract subject to the Service Contract Act.  The Executive Order and the proposed FAR change would require, with few, specific exceptions, that service contractors and their subcontractors under successor contracts subject to the Service Contract Act to offer employees of the predecessor contactor and its subcontractors a right of first refusal of employment for positions for which they are qualified.  For specific details of this proposed change, please click to view:  Proposed Reg - Displaced Workers (2) and Exec  Order 13495

2012 Tradesmen of the Year Award Winners!

The winners of the 2012 Junior and Senior Tradesmen of the Year awards were announced at the May General Membership meeting.

WR Systems Press Release

WRSystems Continues Its Aggressive Commercial Maritime Technologies Expansion with Key Appointments

–Amy Morris

W R Systems, Ltd. (WRSystems), a global leader in maritime technology, announces two key appointments in its Maritime Technologies Division: Mr Arthur Thomas Senior joins as Vice President – Maritime Business and Mr Mike Kellner joins as Director – Maritime Business.

WRSystems’ Maritime Technologies Division supplies Radar, ECDIS and Inertial Navigation Technology as part of a full suite of navigational products. Beyond product sales, WRSystems’ internal design and project management resources supply turnkey bridge installations for both newbuild and retrofit applications. Global, 24 hour service is provided to customers through the company’s 85 US-based technicians and extensive worldwide partner network.

Congressman Randy Forbes Listening Session in Chesapeake - May 14th

JOIN CONGRESSMAN RANDY FORBES ON MONDAY
MAY 14
6:30 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)

CHESAPEAKE CONFERENCE CENTER

This town hall-style forum will include brief information from a Congressional delegation. A moderated “open mic” will allow participants to
• SHARE YOUR STORIES
• VOICE YOUR OPINIONS
• ASK HOW DEFENSE CUTS WILL IMPACT YOU

Concerned citizens, military retirees, veterans, small business owners, defense contractors, and local Chambers of Commerce are invited to attend.

The Defending our Defenders LISTENING SESSION seeks to allow citizen input about the danger defense budget cuts present to national security, our men and women in uniform and local economies nationwide. More information is available at
www.forbes.house.gov

WR Systems Press Release

W R Systems, Ltd., Awarded Follow-on Contract Award N65236-12-D-4806 for SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic.

W R Systems, Ltd. (WRSystems), of Norfolk,VA, along with URS Federal Services, Inc. (prime) and other team members, has been awarded the Submarine C5I & NC3 Engineering, Technical, and Logistic Support follow-on contract from SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic.

Work under this contract includes engineering, technical, analysis and assessment, logistical, life cycle, and program management support for VIRGINIA Class (SSN 774) Non-Propulsion Electronics Systems and Submarine Warfare Federated Tactical Systems (SWFTS) C5I systems and subsystems installed in SSN 21, SSN 688/I, SSBN 726, SSN 774, and SSGN Class Submarines and SUBOPAUTH shore facilities. This contract is valued at $27,746,842 for the base year plus one option year.

New Rules for Adding to Work Packages of CNO Availabilities

Commander, Navy Regional Maintenance Center (CNRMC), RDML Dave Gale, has issued a new CNRMC NOTICE 4791 providing Navy polich on "Adding Work to Availability Work Packages (AWP) for Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Availabilities.

You can find the Notice HERE.