MAFR OMS Site Visit Minutes 5 Feb 21.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

27TH SPECIAL OPERATIONS CONTRACTING SQUADRON (AFSOC)

CANNON AIR FORCE BASE NEW MEXICO

Premier Contracting Squadron

11 February 2021

MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD

FROM: 27 Special Operations Contracting Squadron (27 SOCONS)

SUBJECT: Melrose Air Force Range (MAFR) Site Visit Documentation

1. The purpose of this memorandum is to formally document the events of the MAFR Site Visit that was conducted on Friday, 05 February 2021.

2. This visit commenced at the Visitor’s Center at Cannon Air Force Base (CAFB) where contractors and members from base organizations met to board the provided 27 Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron (27SOLRS) transportation that0 was arranged to transport the group from the Visitor’s Center to MAFR. Only eight of the twelve interested vendors that stated in writing that they would be attending were present at the time of departure at 0702. The site visit attendees were:

Rank and Name Organization

Ms. Sarah Muraco 27 SOCONS/PKA Mr. Michael King 27 SOAOS/RMO Mr. Steven Coffin 27 SOAOS/RMO

SSgt Shelby Wiggins 27 SOCONS/PKA A1C Megan Carney 27 SOCONS/PKA

Mr. James Gore 27 SOAOS/RMO Mr. Pat Hassler D2GS

Mr. Richard Carr Tunista Services, LLC Mr. Graydon Lahmers SA-Tech Ms. Bonnie Yoakum Tunista Services, LLC

Mr. Rick Crawley Fiore Mr. Brian Westerdale ATL Mr. Jimmie Jackson NIKA

Mr. Brian Shadel EMI Mr. Lee Mutcheler 27 SOCONS/DBO

Lt Col Brandon Witt 27 SOMSG/ TSgt Alexandra Counts 27 SOCONS/PKB

3. Transportation to the entry control building (ECB) of MAFR occurred at 0801 where the tour group was met by Mr. Steven Coffin in his Government Owned Vehicle (GOV). No significant discussions occurred between vendors in transit outside mentions of the poor road conditions out to MAFR. The group was signed in by the Point of Contact (POC) of the incumbent contractor, of Tunista Services, LLC at the small ECB shack that has a portable latrine. A safety brief was given by Range Operations Management (RMO) personnel. Information packets that will be posted publically were disseminated and the group was issued a radio and GPS tracker; it was deemed that laser eye protection would not be needed for this visit.

4. A brief overview of the functions of the Range Support Complex (RSC) was given and the tour began with maintenance building 1100, the LZ/DZ storage facility, that contains tool cribs, carts, and small/midsize robots used for gunship training. Welding can and does occur in this building with proper ventilation. This building with roll-up doors was identified as a multifunction building that is not designed for heavy capabilities and will be getting a new table saw(s) moved into it. It is fitted with 120/208 volt power boxes and the grader listed in the Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) is housed inside but goes in/out daily for operations. The next site was the administration/electronic systems building, Building 1095, which is where the Contracting Officer Representative (COR), training, and Range Inspector offices are located.

5. The digital (cloud based) system that tracks the locations of all members on the range in event of evacuation was covered along with the tornado shelter location that contractors will be required to maintain. The problem with the water supply was discussed; water has to be trucked in daily but RMOs assured interested vendors that there is a project through 27 SOCES underway to provide potable ground water supply to the RSC. The timeframe for completion is not known.

6. The next stop was the Permanent Exercise Facility (PEF) where firetruck storage is located. This entire compound is used for mission planning and there are latrines, tents, and water tanks in the area. It was noted by RMO Mr. Gore that construction should begin this year to provide permanent bedding for fire personnel (not in the MPEF). There are 2 storage tanks on site that contain non-potable water to extinguish fires.

7. The tour proceeded to the viewing of the two emergency prototype mobile triage chassis vehicles with mechanical lifts rated up to 500 pounds (registration #s AFB01128 and AFB01129). All vehicles are equipped with full air conditioning for medical equipment and medicine. The RMO explained the chassis were maintained by LRS while the contractor maintains the cabs, which can hold six people. The firetrucks #s 9, 28, and 5 were showcased. No questions were asked regarding these vehicles so the site visit progressed to the area behind the fire building where ARMAG, a storage unit for the temporary storage of munitions was discussed. It is not maintained by the contractor.

8. The tour then drove by the target vehicle storage yard. The contractor is required to keep accurate logs of the inventory.

9. The Remington Drop Zone (DZ) was addressed as an open field for parachute drops that the contractor will be required to mow if it is requested. Speed limit variations for dirt roads versus access roads and vehicle routes were briefed and RMO Mr. King spoke regarding the difference in the different titles for driving areas.

10. Visit progressed to Training Area 1 Alpha (TA-1A) which includes the 5,000ft-long by 90ft-wide Red Horse Landing Zone (LZ) and DZ that is capable of providing landings for aircrafts up to C130’s. This landing zone will be hard paved in the future; RMO used the term “eventually. It was noted that the tour was on the Red Horse LZ access roads. The vehicle route is on the other side of the LZ. Questions arose about the refurbishing/resurfacing of the landing and drop zones and the RMO clarified that the schedule for annual maintenance will occur on a rotating schedule so that at least one zone will always be usable. Light resurfacing takes place three times annually and a hard resurfacing takes place once per year.

11. The site visit proceeded to the Wilderness Helicopter Landing Zone (HLZ) that can support rotor wing aircraft landings. This HLZ is on state-owned land, leased to the United States Air Force. It is not Government-owned land and the contractor is required to maintain the 2.5-mile access road. Mowing and herbicide treatment will be required of the contractor in these areas around the HLZ. It was clarified that for Wilderness Landing Zone Areas, contractors are only responsible for maintenance around the pads and for coordinating the management of local wildlife. It was also made clear that vehicle routes are required to be graded by contractors, but that the Government provides restocking of caliche.

12. Visit progressed past Denby road, which continues on and is an access road that leads off-range into Roosevelt County in the event of an emergency. The group proceeded to the Driving Course, a 2.5-mile area which was briefly shown and is marked with “T” posts. Its purpose as a training site for various motor vehicles (i.e. motorcycles, Raptors/MRAPS, and other tactical vehicles) to traverse challenging environments that are typical in contingency situations. These environments are created/manipulated depending on the using unit’s need and incorporate driving training through obstacles such as water, fallen telephone poles, debris, and challenging road conditions.

13. The tour traveled on to Training Area 4 Delta (TA-4D) where there is a small military operation in urban terrain (MOUT) site that has containers with doors that are breach-able and windows. The RMO also pointed out the “adobe” bricks made by the brick machine that is GFE. TA-4D is a smaller village environment. All equipment on this site is owned by the Government.

14. The Sprint HLZ was entered next, which is an arrangement of containers stacked up to 3 levels high (there are single and two-level units as well) as well as battlefield atmospherics that serve to allow for aircraft to practice landing and taking off in urban areas. The contractor will be responsible for inventory and use of all atmospherics on all of MAFRThis site exists from insertion/extraction training only and there is no training permitted inside the structures located on Sprint. The RMO emphasized the issue with local wildlife and expressed their priority was to act responsibly in regard to the environment, highlighting their partnership with Texas A&M environmental units to monitor and manage the animals on site. No questions were brought up concerning working with these outside units.

15. Training Area 4 Alpha (TA-4A) is a general purpose MOUT site set up and maintained to support Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) qualifications for using units.

This training area supports SERE and small team operations training capabilities.

Simulation round litter result in some of these exercises and will need to be cleared.

16. Training Area 4 Bravo (TA-4B)’s maze of shipping containers and the 40ft observation position tower were shown. Training exercises occur here throughout the year. The laser boresight was shown during this portion of the tour and the interested parties views the camera/laser setup that detects activity in the range of 900-1,700 nanometers. The detection can be recorded and provided to the user if requested to increase effectiveness.

The camera site for weapons scoring has gone mostly unused and the RMO is trying to get away from providing scoring due to lack of utilization.

17. From TA-4D, the tour progressed to the reviewing stands. Here, visitors could see the span of all three Spirit dudded impact areas: Sprint South, Center, and North. The RMO pointed out all of the various targets, including the spinning target for sniper practice for long-range shots. This area is for live impact training for gunships and can support training for up to 105 mm weapons. Spirit Center and North will be used for live munitions; Spirit North is currently under construction but Spirit Center is available for use now. There are 141 targets within the impact area and it was emphasized that any access to this area MUST be after it is cleared by Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) personnel. Fires are common on Spirit Center and Spirit South and require heightened watch by range personnel, including contractors.

18. The RMO pointed out the Range Control tower from which Range Control Officers and Range Officers operate. To improve communications, a Motorola Vesta communication system is being installed on MAFR and will be operational when the Motorola suite is incorporated into the tower.

19. The group moved on to the Electronic Warfare area referred to as the Ground Electronic Combat Control Operations (GECCO) that is atop a steep mesa and has winding and caliche roads that must be traversed to access the area. The purpose of GECCO is to facilitate a myriad of electronic training simulations that vary from signal jamming to communications interruption and threat warning stimulators. There is indoor plumbing at this location. The group viewed the Multiple Threat Emitter System (MUTES) that have 18 transmitters and require two operators to oversee radar and computer function. The tour also observed the mini-MUTES operating station. The mini-MUTES sites are as far as 90 miles away from MAFR. It was stressed by RMO Mr. Foisie that any time this equipment is maintained, two (2) contractor personnel need to be assigned to the task since maintenance will take place in a remote location. Visitors also viewed the “Smokey SAMS” storage containers that provide visual and infrared cues for aircraft counter-measure techniques. The GECCO site also houses the Range Operations Center (ROC) and a range operations room that contains controls for a thermal imager, security system, and safety tracking interface. Various aspects of this site require the contractor to do inspections on equipment on 7- and 28-day schedules. Replacement of the GFE vehicles used in mini-MUTES maintenance has been requested for over a decade. The vehicle authorization is under Allowance Standard 037, government provided, contractor replaced.

20. All GECCO systems are contractor operated/maintained. Visitors viewed the two

Tactical Radar Threat Generators (TRTGs) and were informed when they need to be moved/transported up to 75 miles away, it is the responsibility of the contractor to provide the vehicles that will hook up to the trailers and move them. These vehicles can be brought to MAFR as needed or stored on site. The GECCO houses a comprehensive Motorola suite of new equipment for communications/recordings that is part of a contract that has already been awarded and is on site. Its use is pending contractor training. It was noted that the recording system in the after-action review room is not often used but is available to any using units. The backup range control office is undergoing changes and currently houses radios with charging stations and contractor provided costumes/equipment for SITFOR exercises.

21. The RMO briefed on the Battlefield Communications Simulation System (BCSS) vehicle that is a fitted Yukon XL that carries analog and complex digital abilities that can use the roof-mounted antennas to create signal disruption and foreign language transmissions.

22. It was noted that the “golf ball”, a large spherical structure on site, is not currently housing any significant or functional equipment; its intended use is to house the BASH Bird Radar that has been awarded but will not be a part of this contract but rather a separate venture.

23. The tour moved on to the Jockey Impact Area, a site full of vehicle targets that are distributed around containers to create target environments that are similar to urban environments in areas of responsibility (AORs). The majority of these containers are not targets themselves, but instead are placed to create obstacles that units must navigate to successfully locate/detonate the 90 targets in this area. There are Unexploded Ordinances (UXOs) that pose a threat in this zone. Contractors are required to maintain the access roads that lead to Jockey Impact Area. The tour drove by the Jockey Vertical Target, but no exit of the transport vehicle was given for this target due to the proximity to the dudded impact area. RMO Mike King referenced the provided pamphlet that will be available to vendors unable to attend via the Government Entry Point to see a closer image and description of the area and photo of the vertical target. The contractor that is awarded this project will also need to provide similar land management to this area as they will the rest of the range to provide stable ecology; vendors were informed of the potential need to incorporate additional armored vehicles to the area.

24. Range 5 was the next stop, where the vendors were shown the white marking posts that are placed on the left and right boundaries to this zone and were informed they will need to maintain the borders. This area is cleared to have 9mm, 5.56, 7.62 and 50 caliber rounds fired, but no grenades are authorized in this area. There are approximately 160 stationary infantry targets (SITS) and 30 stationary armored targets (SATS) on MAFR.

There are also user-operated or contractor-operated computer capabilities on site to increase the autonomy and tailor-ability of using this range for contingency and special operations training. The contractor will be required to build and maintain any pits approved for use by units that utilize this range.

25. The visit proceeded to MOUT/training areas TA-3E, TA-3D, TA-3C, TA-2C, and TA- 3A. TA-3A. TA-3E or “the Village” was showcased. Within the Village simulates a small town environment that mirrors a Middle-Eastern town. Thermal imaging capabilities and camera footage links directly to the monitors in the ROC to provide training “lessons-learned” as well as safety features for all exercise players. The contractor is responsible for maintenance and inventory of all items placed in this area. The containers are part of the 1050 total containers that are reconfigured every year; approximately 20% of these containers will be moved and reorganized to suite mission tailoring.

26. The next stop was the largest MOUT/training area TA-3B referred to as “Gotham City”.

This simulated city is modeled after a Middle Eastern city, and is composed of hundreds of containers with operational doors and windows. It was noted that there are approximately 200 containers in 3B made up of many more containers. The users are responsible for closing all doors and windows upon exercise completion and are also held liable for any damages they may cause. The contractor is responsible for cleaning up training debris and closing doors and windows that the users might miss after each training iteration. Several containers are equipped with video surveillance cameras and the entire compound has several different broadcasting speakers that can be programmed to play sounds to mimic normal city acoustics such as the call to prayer and foreign language tracks. The RMO mentioned they are pursuing a project that would allow them more manipulation of lights to simulate operations at all times of night. This area is large enough to support 2-3 exercises at any point in time. The props (bicycles, vehicles, marketplace items such as plastic fruit stands and storefronts, etc.) are all provided by the Government, but contractors are responsible for maintaining and keeping logs of them.

Aromatic systems are in place on this site as well to use synthetic smells to increase the realism for exercise players.

27. Leaving Gotham, brief stops were made at the Bobcat Landing Zone and the Demo Range. Bobcat LZ has two landing strips that are 60 x 6,000 feet and 40 x 6,000 feet of hard dirt. The contractors are required to come out every day to these zones and ensure the integrity of the dirt as these are heavily used areas and if the grounds are not maintained, the result could be significant issues for heavy aircraft that land here regularly. It is required for fire trucks to be on site for landings and can result in safety violations if Civil Engineering and the contractor are not monitoring fire presence during landings.

28. The final site was Range 7, which is an incomplete qualification range. There is a great deal of dirt work and configuration required that the contractor will have to take on for this site. The contractor would be responsible for creating lifter pits in this area. Lifters will be furnished to populate this range. The Range Office safety tower for Range 7 is already on site. This site will have to conform to Army Circulars as referenced in the PWS. It will be required to create parking areas. There were several vendor questions about this site since significant work needs to be done (see attached questions).

29. The site visit concluded at 1359. Bus transportation back to CAFB Visitor’s Center concluded at 1440 and all parties disembarked.

SHELBY C. WIGGINS, TSgt, USAF Contracting Specialist