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Pentagon offers new explanation for why it cancelled huge travel modernization project

DoD made the highly unexpected decision to cancel the $374 million replacement for its aging Defense Travel System in May. The explanation it's given to lawmake...

A month after the initial decision, a new explanation has emerged for the Pentagon’s sudden decision to cancel the $374 million program it’s been working on for the past several years to replace its much-maligned Defense Travel System (DTS).

But for Capitol Hill, the latest rationale has raised almost as many questions as it’s answered — enough to prompt lawmakers to call Defense officials to testify at a July hearing and to demand documents that could help explain the sudden change in course.

During a recent briefing for staff members of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, DoD officials explained that they decided to pull the plug on the new system, called MyTravel, because the military departments’ legacy financial management IT systems were not ready to integrate with MyTravel’s data feeds.

That explanation differs substantially from the ones DoD previously provided to members of the media and the public. As Federal News Network reported last month , officials said they were cancelling the program because projected travel volumes had fallen amidst the rise of virtual meetings during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and because “department priorities have shifted to focus on DoD financial improvement and readiness to achieve an unmodified audit opinion.”

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The House Oversight committee requested a staff-level briefing because members and staff believed those public explanations didn’t make sense, according to a staffer involved in the discussion. Indeed, as Federal News Network also reported, DoD spent $8.4 billion on travel in fiscal year 2022, its largest amount in more than a decade.

But congressional staff were also unpersuaded that the newly-explained financial system integration issues justified the decision to completely scrap the program.

“It’s not at all obvious to us that it makes sense to just start from zero again,” the staff member said. “But we don’t really have enough information. We want to have a responsible official come in and explain this.”

That explanation is expected at a July 18 hearing set to be led by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), the chairwoman of the subcommittee on cybersecurity, information technology and government innovation. Mace sent a letter this week to Gil Cisneros, the undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness, requesting that he appear and testify.

“The rapid reversal on MyTravel — a system being developed for DoD for over four years at a direct cost of more than $20 million — is troubling. It inevitably raises broader questions about DoD’s ability to manage its finances and information technology,” Mace wrote. “Due to a legion of inefficiencies, DTS generated nearly $1 billion in improper payments from fiscal years 2016 through 2018, according to a 2019 Government Accountability Office study . The system is also notoriously difficult and time-consuming to navigate.”

According to the committee, DoD has not yet confirmed whether Cisneros will appear personally or whether another senior official will testify instead. But Cisneros is the official who quietly directed the end of MyTravel via a memo in late May .

The decision to cancel MyTravel and stick with DTS was surprising because only seven months earlier, in another memorandum , Cisneros told the military department and Defense agencies that the Pentagon was starting to make the use of MyTravel mandatory as it moved toward finally sunsetting DTS, which has been in use since 1998. The memo said MyTravel would be the “single official travel system” for DoD as new capabilities continued to come online.

And DoD’s 2024 budget proposal, delivered to Congress in March, said Defense agencies had already migrated to the system, and that the military services would make the same move by late 2023.

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“What developments occurred between the issuance of the president’s budget in March and the issuance of your termination memo in May that led you to cancel the MyTravel contract?” Mace asked in this week’s letter. “Why were the component financial management system integrations not completed on-time to coincide with scheduled implementation of the new MyTravel system? Can these upgrades be sufficiently accelerated to obviate the need to cancel the entire MyTravel contract?”

Cisneros’ Oct. 2022 memo explicitly directed DoD components whose existing systems weren’t compatible with MyTravel to start working to ensure that they were as soon as possible. But that’s only one reason congressional overseers are baffled that the department wasn’t ready to adopt the system and decided to cancel it instead.

“There’s evidence that they knew for years that the financial management systems were going to have to be upgraded in order for this to work,” the staff member said. “All of this just kind of screams that there are management and people issues, because they had a certain amount of information when they sent out the mandatory thing.”

As part of its investigation, the subcommittee is also requesting that DoD turn over documents related to the MyTravel program, including:

• Emails and other communications that could help answer why the department changed its position from mandatory use of MyTravel to a full cancellation within a matter of months.
• Unredacted versions of DoD’s $374 million sole-source contract with SAP Concur to build MyTravel and the justification and approval decision that supported the sole-source decision.
• Documents to explain why DoD submitted a 2024 budget proposal that called for the full implementation of MyTravel.

In the redacted version of its sole-source justification , issued in 2021, the department asserted that only SAP Concur could plausibly perform the work needed to fully implement a replacement for DTS, because that firm had already managed a highly complex effort to integrate its commercial software as a service travel and expense management product with the government’s byzantine Joint Travel Regulation. That work was done as part of a prototype the department launched with some fanfare in 2018, when DoD issued an other transaction agreement to SAP Concur to pilot a potential DTS replacement.

“Any delays will impact the government because it will require continued use of the aging travel system,” officials wrote in the 2021 justification authorizing the larger award to SAP. “DTS is a legacy system that continues to incur technical debt through poor usability, low customer satisfaction, and improper payment of travel entitlements … Additionally, continuing to use DTS will require further investment to update it, making the efforts and investment in [MyTravel] over the past three years meaningless.”

In separate budget documentation, the department has also indicated that most of its improper payments in the category of travel spending are because of DTS, and that MyTravel would largely solve the problem.

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In light of those warnings about the DTS’s deficiencies, Mace said she wants to know whether the department has a new plan to replace the system.

Thus far, the answer appears to be no. The Defense Travel Management Office’s most recent guidance to DoD components who’ve already implemented MyTravel directs them to go back to using DTS no later than July 13, cancel any reservations they’ve made in MyTravel that extend beyond that date, and book them again via DTS.

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Jared Serbu is deputy editor of Federal News Network and reports on the Defense Department’s contracting, legislative, workforce and IT issues.

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Lawmaker summons Pentagon official over canceled travel software

WASHINGTON ― The Pentagon’s abrupt decision to cancel a new travel management system meant to replace its antiquated software has drawn scrutiny from the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who chairs the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, invited the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, Gilbert Cisneros, to testify before her panel on July 18. She wants him to explain why the Defense Department suddenly scrapped implementation of the MyTravel software.

“The rapid reversal on MyTravel ― a system being developed for [the department] for over four years at a direct cost of more than $20 million ― is troubling,” Mace wrote in a letter to Cisneros on Friday. “It inevitably raises broader questions about [the department’s] ability to manage its finances and information technology.”

Mace, who also sits on the Armed Services Committee, also asked Elizabeth Field, director of the Government Accountability Office’s defense capabilities and management team, to testify at the same hearing.

The $374 million MyTravel contract, initially awarded to SAP Concur in 2018, would have replaced the Pentagon’s 25-year-old Defense Travel System. An internal Defense Department memo in May noted that offices would no longer be required to use MyTravel and that the Pentagon would stop using the software altogether on Sept. 13.

The Mace letter points to a 2019 GAO study, which found the Defense Travel System “generated nearly $1 billion in improper payments” from fiscal 2016 through fiscal 2019.

Pentagon officials briefed House Oversight and Accountability Committee staff on the MyTravel cancellation in June. Mace’s letter notes the Defense Department was unprepared to implement the new software because of a delay in integrating it with financial management system upgrades.

“Absent this integration, the officials said, forced adoption of MyTravel would reduce the auditability of those components,” Mace wrote. The Pentagon has never passed any of the five audits it’s undergone .

Mace has also asked Cisneros to provide more details on the cancellation, including the issues with financial management system integration, in writing by July 14.

Bryant Harris is the Congress reporter for Defense News. He has covered U.S. foreign policy, national security, international affairs and politics in Washington since 2014. He has also written for Foreign Policy, Al-Monitor, Al Jazeera English and IPS News.

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A New Travel System Is Coming to Replace the Antiquated DTS

The Department of Defense has approved a new contract to replace its current Defense Travel System, or DTS, reporting process.

The new system, scheduled to be fully online by fiscal 2025, will be known as "MyTravel." It will allow military travelers to buy plane tickets, make hotel reservations and file for travel reimbursement from one online location.

The cloud-based system will be created, administered and hosted by Concur Technologies, which, according to contract documents , has experience working with the DoD and has "worked on integration [and] DoD cybersecurity compliance for the past three years."

The current DTS travel system was created by the DoD and has been around in one form or another since 1998. There have been several modifications and updates throughout the years, but the costs of maintaining it are becoming prohibitive, according to contract documents.

FedScoop.com reported that the new contract is worth $374 million.

The DoD predicts that migrating from the current system to the new subscription-based civilian designed system will give taxpayers overall cost savings and provide improved usability.

The new travel system will be phased in over the next three years. The DoD anticipates that all leave, medical, training and exercise travel will be processed through it by 2025. When fully operational, the travel system should process more than 3.8 million transactions annually, according to the contract documents.

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Pentagon replacing Defense Travel System, says savings and user satisfaction will result

A U.S.-bound plane is parked at a gate at Narita International Airport in Japan in 2019. The Defense Department will roll out a replacement to the Defense Travel System over the next three years. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)

The Defense Department soon will begin a three-year rollout of a cloud-based system intended to replace the aging Defense Travel System, which has been beset by costly inefficiency for years.

Dubbed MyTravel, the new system will let users book travel and process expense reports online.

The Pentagon previously projected the upgrade would lower the price of airline tickets and reduce the time spent by DOD military and civilian personnel on booking travel by more than 10 million hours a year.

The new system is expected to be fully operational by fiscal year 2025 and will eventually handle some 3.8 million transactions a year.

The system is being developed by Bellevue, Wash.-based Concur Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Germany’s SAP SE. DOD and Concur signed a $374 million contract last week.

Under a contract signed in 2018, Concur developed a prototype of MyTravel. In awarding that contract, the Pentagon said it was spending about $9 billion on travel, about 70% of that for temporary duty assignments.

Passengers arrive at the Ramstein Air Base, Germany, passenger terminal in 2016. The Defense Department will roll out a replacement to the Defense Travel System over the next three years. (Jonathan Stefanko/U.S. Air Force)

The government has seen a per-trip savings through limited use of the prototype, but the dollar amounts for the costs of about 4 million annual trips under the legacy system and the projected savings under MyTravel at full implementation were redacted from the contracting documents.

DTS, which has been around in some form for over two decades, continues to incur technical debt “through poor usability, low customer satisfaction and improper payment of travel entitlements,” according to a document justifying the contact award.

MyTravel's “modern, easy-to-use interface” is expected to improve usability and customer satisfaction, the document states.

A built-in artificial intelligence engine identifies possible irregularities in travel expenses and already has shown that it could significantly reduce improper payments, the contracting document states.

MyTravel is expected to ramp up from processing some 1,000 transactions this fiscal year to 30,000 next year, the document says. It currently has a user base of about 2,000 people, it says, a small fraction of DOD's nearly 3 million personnel.

The prototype project took three years, adding DOD-specific capabilities to Concur’s commercial product in over 30 rapid-development cycles known as “sprints,” the contract documents state.

It can currently handle temporary duty travel, local travel, travel to military installations and overseas travel, the document states.

As the contractor shifts from development to production, more sprints will be used to configure it for processing leave, medical, training and deployment travel in compliance with DOD rules.

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DoD Awards $374M Contract to Modernize Travel Management System

The Department of Defense (DoD) has signed a seven-year, $374 million contract with Concur Technologies that makes the company the sole source for DoD’s Defense Travel Modernization (DTM) project, DoD announced Sept. 15 on SAM.gov .

The award anticipates that the DTM will be managing nearly four million transactions per year by Fiscal Year 2025.

“The primary purpose of the DTM is to improve travel performance outcomes by delivering state-of-the-art, industry-leading travel and expense management to the entirety of the DoD,” the award states . “DTM is a web-based travel-as-as-service system provided through cloud-based SaaS (software-as-a-service) and will provide world-class industry standard travel capabilities to the DoD through a streamlined travel system.”

Concur won the contract after previously producing a successful prototype for DoD via an Other Transaction Authority award in 2018 . This award is structured as a follow-on to that with a one-year base period, followed by six option contract years.

Currently, the prototype is expected to handle approximately 2,000 users and 1,000 transactions this fiscal year. The award expects a ramp-up to approximately 30,000 transactions in FY2022, then a steady ramp-up to achieve the expected annual volume by FY2025.

The DoD announced it was proceeding and negotiating with Concur as the sole source for this modernization effort towards the end of April of this year. Concur will be responsible for the full implementation of the DTM, as well as sustaining and supporting the system.

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DOD inks $374M contract for new travel management system

By Jackson Barnett

September 15, 2021

The Department of Defenses ‘ human resources branch has inked a $374 million contract with Concur Technologies to modernize its legacy travel management system that processes about four million trips each year.

The deal, signed Monday, should result in a new system dubbed “MyTravel” that will manage the full range of the department’s travel expenses and operations by fiscal 2025. The system will replace the legacy Defense Travel System (DTS) which has received poor user ratings and the department appears eager to replace, according to the contract document .

“The Government requires a secure, efficient, and effective commercial travel solution to book travel, provide travel fulfillment service, manage travel-related expenses, and initiate travel-related financial transactions,” the contract award states.

The system will cover travel across the globe, the document states. By replacing DTS with a software-as-a-service system, the DOD hopes to be able to maintain a modern system that keeps pace with tech changes. The DTS office was launched in 2006 , but recently the system has faced poor reviews from users. The contract award states DTS is a “legacy system that continues to incur technical debt through poor usability, low customer satisfaction and improper payment of travel entitlements.”

The system design was sparked by a cross-functional team of staffed by the CIO’s office and the now-defunct Chief Management Officer’s office , which was dedicated to increasing business efficiencies.

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Failed Defense Travel Contract Came From Underuse, DOD Says

By Caleb Harshberger

Lawmakers Wednesday slammed the Pentagon’s recent decision to discontinue its contract that replaced a long-criticized Defense Travel System, but they got few answers after the Pentagon declined to make Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Gilbert Cisneros available to testify.

The DOD canceled its contract with SAP Concur for its MyTravel system, citing Covid-19 impacts on travel volume and individual branches not switching to the new system. All MyTravel operations will end in September.

Critics slammed the decision as an example of DOD failing to incorporate commercial products into its systems, even when those systems are more efficient ...

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The US military is stuck with the widely-hated Defense Travel System until 2025

"One does not simply submit a travel claim in DTS."

By Paul Szoldra | Published Sep 22, 2021 9:00 AM EDT

The U.S. military travel and expense booking service known to service members as the Defense Travel System (DTS) and also as perhaps the most frustrating piece of software imaginable is finally getting an upgrade, according to Stars & Stripes, though it won’t be fully operational until 2025.

The new-and-improved system dubbed “MyTravel” will allow Department of Defense users to book trips and manage travel-related transactions. The travel software company SAP Concur was awarded the $374 million contract on Sept. 13 to develop the system, which “combines industry-leading travel technology and Travel Management Company services to deliver a ‘travel as a service capability’ based on a subscription pricing model,” according to the contract description.

The modern cloud-based system will provide an easy-to-use interface and relies on artificial intelligence to audit expenses, the contract justification states. It will also mean the government will no longer need to maintain its own travel-booking system, which is not “as user-friendly” as the alternative.

That’s a nice way to characterize a system that’s often described with profanity. As news articles, online memes, and even official military press releases can attest, service members have long despised DTS. One “Lord of the Rings”-inspired meme , for example, shows actor Sean Bean making a ring shape with his hand along with the caption, “One does not simply submit a travel claim in DTS.” Others feature a teacher in front of a full chalkboard which sarcastically proclaims, “that’s how you sign a voucher on DTS.” One Army first sergeant even uploaded a cartoon titled “DTS Nightmare” to the military’s official imagery portal in 2016.

“As a military writer, I know words; generally, they don’t intimidate me,” Tech Sgt. Andria Allmond wrote in a 2016 Air Force news release. “Yet, there are particular words that make me shudder: CBT (computer-based training), MOPP (Mission-Oriented Protective Posture) and DTS (Defense Travel System).”

And then there are the personal accounts from current and former service members who have slogged through the jungle of digital paperwork that is DTS, only to file their forms and then find out at the eleventh hour that there was a problem.

That was the case for a pair of Army veterans who spoke to Task & Purpose in May and described how they arrived at the airport in South Korea with all their belongings, including their pet cat, and found that their tickets to their next duty station in Germany had not been paid for.

“We had to use a nice Korean man’s cell phone to make about 67 phone calls, and got it straightened out and the cat ok to leave the country and enter Europe with literally 5 minutes to spare before our plane closed the doors,” said former Army Staff Sgt. Victoria Chamberlin. “I am remembering language barriers, and we had 3 carts worth of bags with us that would have made it hard to turn around and leave – plus the cat. Oof.”

Of course, contract documents describe the problems more mildly: “DTS is a legacy system that continues to incur technical debt through poor usability, low customer satisfaction, and improper payment of travel entitlements.”

The Defense Department anticipates transitioning about 2,000 users and 1,000 travel transactions to the new system in Fiscal Year 2021, according to the documents. That number is expected to increase to 30,000 transactions the following year until reaching a “steady state” of 3.8 million transactions by 2025.

The Department of Defense first began the process of replacing the “aging and inefficient” Defense Travel System in August 2018 after awarding a $9.3 million contract to SAP Concur to develop a prototype. Then in May 2021, negotiations began for the final contract that was signed last week.

Still, it couldn’t arrive soon enough. As retired Army Col. Arnold Strong told Task & Purpose earlier this year, he found DTS so complicated and difficult to use that he nicknamed it the “Don’t Travel Service.”

“It’s been challenging for soldiers, leaders, NCOs, officers, and lower enlisted alike to navigate how to actually get from Point A to Point B,” Strong said. “I would usually run everything by an E-5 clerk that I had – even though it’s supposed to be very autonomous – I always wanted to make sure that I had expertise. Otherwise, you end up having long layovers, having poor connections, because it’s designed to find the cheapest source available for the government. So you end up going in sort of chaotic directions.”

It’s almost fitting that a replacement for DTS will be slow to arrive, considering that one of the main complaints about the legacy system is that it’s so cumbersome and hard to use, it often results in delays.

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Contracts For June 13, 2024

Blue Origin Florida LLC, Merritt Island, Florida (FA8811-24-D-B002); Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Hawthorne, California (FA8811-24-D-B003); and United Launch Services LLC, Centennial, Colorado (FA8811-24-D-B001), have been awarded a multiple-award, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum cumulative ceiling of $5,600,000,000 for the National Security Space (NSS) Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 launch services procurement. The contract is for launch services delivering NSS payloads into their intended orbits. The location of performance will be determined at the task order level. The contract will include a five-year ordering period, which will go through June 2029, with an option for an additional ordering period of five years. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition, and seven offers were received. Fiscal 2024 space procurement funds in the amount of $8,000,000 (the cumulative amount for the minimum guarantee) are being obligated at the time of award. Space Systems Command, Assured Access to Space, Los Angeles Air Force Base, El Segundo, California, is the contracting activity. 

BAE Systems Space & Missions Systems Inc., Fairborn, Ohio, was awarded a $30,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee task orders for research and development. This contract is to explore new and emerging concepts related to development, integration, assessment, evaluation and demonstration of cyber security, open system architecture, novel avionics and sensor technologies, and multi-domain technologies focusing on the electric warfare piece of the avionics. Work will be performed in Wright-Patterson Air Force base, Ohio, and is expected to be completed June 13, 2031. This contract was a competitive acquisition, and five offers were received. Fiscal 2024 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $60,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA2377-24-D-B002, FA2377-24-F-B002).

Raytheon Missiles and Defense, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $12,559,475 add work modification (P00022) to previously awarded contract FA8650-20-C-9310 to assess the military and operational utility and technical feasibility of a unique system-of-systems capability. The systems will be integrated through Raytheon software interfaces to allow for the cueing, tracking, and firing of effectors. This additional work modification is for the acquisition of the GhostEye MR additional development and experimentation and is focused on further development and test with the GhostEye radar system. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $50,171,196. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2025. Fiscal 2024 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $8,000,000 are being obligated time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

Fiber Materials Inc., Biddeford, Maine, was awarded an $8,863,615 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for composites for high-speeds by Integrated Computational Materials Engineering. This contract provides for development, demonstration, validation, and transition of a cohesive set of computational modeling tools to enable more rapid design, manufacturing, prototyping, and qualification of advanced high-temperature composite material systems for use in modernized thermal protection systems. Work will be performed at Biddeford, Maine, and is expected to be completed by June 11, 2027. This contract was a competitive acquisition, and one offer was received. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $8,863,615 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA2394-24-C-B013). 

Clark Construction Group – California LP, Irvine, California (N62473-24-D-5229); Gilbane Federal, Concord, California (N62473-24-D-5230); Harper Construction Co. Inc., San Diego, California (N62473-24-D-5231); Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Irvine, California (N62473-24-D-5232); R.A. Burch Construction Co. Inc.,* Ramona, California (N62473-24-D-5233); RQ Construction LLC, Carlsbad, California (N62473-24-D-5234); Tutor Perini Corp., Sylmar, California (N62473-24-D-5235); and Walsh Federal LLC, Chicago, Illinois (N62473-24-D-5236), are awarded a combined $3,000,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract for new construction and repair and renovation of commercial and institutional facilities at various government installations across the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility. Work will be performed in the states of California (90%), Arizona (6%), Nevada (1%), Utah (1%), Colorado (1%), and New Mexico (1%), and is expected to be completed by June 2029. Fiscal 2024 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $40,000 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Each awardee will be awarded $5,000 at contract award. This contract was competitively procured via the Sam.gov Contract Opportunities website, with 16 offers received. NAVFAC Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Mission Systems Sector, Linthicum Heights, Maryland, was awarded a $244,692,240 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-20-C-5519 to exercise an option for production of Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program Block 3 electronic attack hemisphere systems and ancillary hardware equipment. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland (52%); Tampa, Florida (8%); Andover, Massachusetts (5%); Chelmsford, Massachusetts (5%); San Diego, California (3%); Saginaw, Michigan (2%); Rolling Meadows, Illinois (2%); Los Angeles, California (2%); Stafford Springs, Connecticut (2%); Woodridge, Illinois (1%); Passaic, New Jersey (1%); Minneapolis, Minnesota (1%); Glendale, Arizona (1%); Elk Grove Village, Illinois (1%); White Marsh, Maryland (1%); Tucson, Arizona (1%); Woburn, Massachusetts (1%); Washington, North Carolina (1%); Richardson, Texas (1%); El Cajon, California (1%); Hiawatha, Iowa (1%); Littleton, California (1%); Glendale, California (1%); Rochester, New York (1%); and miscellaneous locations - each less than 1% (4%), and is expected to be completed by April 2027. Fiscal 2024 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $124,541,031 (51%); and fiscal 2024 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $120,151,209 (49%), will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Awarded on June 11, 2024)

Bluewater Management Group LLC, Chesapeake, Virginia, is awarded an indefinite-delivery, requirements, firm-fixed-price contract with a cumulative total value, if all options are exercised, of $51,368,908 to provide lodging and transportation services to civil service mariners assigned to Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, from the contractor hotels to Naval Base Norfolk. The contract value for the base period is $8,931,438. The contract contains four one-year options and one six-month option and will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia; Chesapeake, Virginia; and Virginia Beach, Virginia, beginning June 16, 2024, and will conclude on Dec. 15, 2024, if all options are exercised. This contract was a competitive small business set aside with proposals solicited via the Government Point of Entry website; three timely proposals were received. Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. 

Affordable Engineering Services Inc.,* San Diego, California, is awarded a $40,567,744 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides augmented production support services to provide maintenance on industrial plant and facilities support equipment as well as provide tool control and support services for the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest. Work will be performed in San Diego, California (95%); Camp Pendleton, California (2.5%); and Miramar, California (2.5%), and is expected to be completed in June 2029. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; two offers were received. Commander, Fleet Readiness Center, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N6852024D0004).

PAE Government Services Inc., Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $33,101,924, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity modification to previously awarded contract N40084-21-D-0060 for base operation support services at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. This award brings the total cumulative value of the contract to $123,142,096. Work will be performed at Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, and is expected to be completed by June 2025. Fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps), fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance (Navy), fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance (Defense Agencies), and fiscal 2024 Department of Defense (DOD) working capital funds in the amount of $18,189,947, for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Far East, Iwakuni, Japan, is the contracting activity. 

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, California, is awarded a $9,536,612 modification (P00009) to a firm-fixed-price order (N0001921F0806) to a previously awarded basic ordering agreement. This modification is for the procurement of last-time buys, material required for the continuance of the MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System production and sustainment efforts for the Navy and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Work will be performed in Longueuil, Quebec, Canada (35.32%); Chantilly, Virginia (24.23%); San Diego, California (14.48%); Sterling, Virginia (12%); San Jose, California (7.08%); Pine Brook, New Jersey (2.49%); Farnborough, Hampshire, England (1.9%); and various locations within of the continental U.S. (2.46%), and is expected to be completed in March 2028. Fiscal 2024 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $782,271; fiscal 2023 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,347,956; fiscal 2022 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,089,357; and RAAF funds in the amount of $2,317,028, will be obligated at the time of award, $1,089,357 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

US Ordnance,* McCarran, Nevada, was awarded a $40,000,000 modification (P00003) to contract W15QKN-22-D-0013 for the MK19 Grenade Machine Gun. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 7, 2026. Army Contracting Command, Newark, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.     Native American Services Corp.,* Kellogg, Idaho, was awarded a $37,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for a broad range of real property repair and construction at Fort Novosel. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 12, 2029. Army Field Directorate Office, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W5168W-24-D-0007).    Norfolk Dredging Co., Chesapeake, Virginia, was awarded a $36,978,060 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Fire Island, New York, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 9, 2024. Fiscal 2024 military construction, Army funds in the amount of $36,978,060 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-24-C-0014). 

*Small business

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• Patient Care & Health Information
• Diseases & Conditions
• Urinary tract infection (UTI)

Female urinary system

Your urinary system includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. The urinary system removes waste from the body through urine. The kidneys are located toward the back of the upper abdomen. They filter waste and fluid from the blood and produce urine. Urine moves from the kidneys through narrow tubes to the bladder. These tubes are called the ureters. The bladder stores urine until it's time to urinate. Urine leaves the body through another small tube called the urethra.

Male urinary system

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection in any part of the urinary system. The urinary system includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Most infections involve the lower urinary tract — the bladder and the urethra.

Women are at greater risk of developing a UTI than are men. If an infection is limited to the bladder, it can be painful and annoying. But serious health problems can result if a UTI spreads to the kidneys.

Health care providers often treat urinary tract infections with antibiotics. You can also take steps to lower the chance of getting a UTI in the first place.

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UTI s don't always cause symptoms. When they do, they may include:

• A strong urge to urinate that doesn't go away
• A burning feeling when urinating
• Urinating often, and passing small amounts of urine
• Urine that looks cloudy
• Urine that appears red, bright pink or cola-colored — signs of blood in the urine
• Strong-smelling urine
• Pelvic pain, in women — especially in the center of the pelvis and around the area of the pubic bone

In older adults, UTI s may be overlooked or mistaken for other conditions.

Types of urinary tract infections

Each type of UTI may result in more-specific symptoms. The symptoms depend on which part of the urinary tract is affected.

When to see a doctor

Contact your health care provider if you have symptoms of a UTI .

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UTI s typically occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra and begin to spread in the bladder. The urinary system is designed to keep out bacteria. But the defenses sometimes fail. When that happens, bacteria may take hold and grow into a full-blown infection in the urinary tract.

The most common UTI s occur mainly in women and affect the bladder and urethra.

Infection of the bladder. This type of UTI is usually caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli). E. coli is a type of bacteria commonly found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. But sometimes other bacteria are the cause.

Having sex also may lead to a bladder infection, but you don't have to be sexually active to develop one. All women are at risk of bladder infections because of their anatomy. In women, the urethra is close to the anus. And the urethral opening is close to the bladder. This makes it easier for bacteria around the anus to enter the urethra and to travel to the bladder.

• Infection of the urethra. This type of UTI can happen when GI bacteria spread from the anus to the urethra. An infection of the urethra can also be caused by sexually transmitted infections. They include herpes, gonorrhea, chlamydia and mycoplasma. This can happen because women's urethras are close to the vagina.

Risk factors

UTI s are common in women. Many women experience more than one UTI during their lifetimes.

Risk factors for UTI s that are specific to women include:

• Female anatomy. Women have a shorter urethra than men do. As a result, there's less distance for bacteria to travel to reach the bladder.
• Sexual activity. Being sexually active tends to lead to more UTI s. Having a new sexual partner also increases risk.
• Certain types of birth control. Using diaphragms for birth control may increase the risk of UTI s. Using spermicidal agents also can increase risk.
• Menopause. After menopause, a decline in circulating estrogen causes changes in the urinary tract. The changes can increase the risk of UTI s.

Other risk factors for UTI s include:

• Urinary tract problems. Babies born with problems with their urinary tracts may have trouble urinating. Urine can back up in the urethra, which can cause UTI s.
• Blockages in the urinary tract. Kidney stones or an enlarged prostate can trap urine in the bladder. As a result, risk of UTI s is higher.
• A suppressed immune system. Diabetes and other diseases can impair the immune system — the body's defense against germs. This can increase the risk of UTI s.
• Catheter use. People who can't urinate on their own often must use a tube, called a catheter, to urinate. Using a catheter increases the risk of UTI s. Catheters may be used by people who are in the hospital. They may also be used by people who have neurological problems that make it difficult to control urination or who are paralyzed.
• A recent urinary procedure. Urinary surgery or an exam of your urinary tract that involves medical instruments can both increase the risk of developing a UTI .

Complications

When treated promptly and properly, lower urinary tract infections rarely lead to complications. But left untreated, UTI s can cause serious health problems.

Complications of a UTI may include:

• Repeated infections, which means you have two or more UTI s within six months or three or more within a year. Women are especially prone to having repeated infections.
• Permanent kidney damage from a kidney infection due to an untreated UTI .
• Delivering a low birth weight or premature infant when a UTI occurs during pregnancy.
• A narrowed urethra in men from having repeated infections of the urethra.
• Sepsis, a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection. This is a risk especially if the infection travels up the urinary tract to the kidneys.

These steps may help lower the risk of UTI s:

• Drink plenty of liquids, especially water. Drinking water helps dilute the urine. That leads to urinating more often — allowing bacteria to be flushed from the urinary tract before an infection can begin.
• Try cranberry juice. Studies that look into whether cranberry juice prevents UTI s aren't final. However, drinking cranberry juice is likely not harmful.
• Wipe from front to back. Do this after urinating and after a bowel movement. It helps prevent the spread of bacteria from the anus to the vagina and urethra.
• Empty your bladder soon after having sex. Also drink a full glass of water to help flush bacteria.
• Avoid potentially irritating feminine products. Using them in the genital area can irritate the urethra. These products include deodorant sprays, douches and powders.
• Change your birth control method. Diaphragms, unlubricated condoms or condoms treated with spermicide can contribute to bacterial growth.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) care at Mayo Clinic

• Partin AW, et al., eds. Infections of the urinary tract. In: Campbell-Walsh-Wein Urology. 12th ed. Elsevier; 2021. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed June 13, 2022.
• Ferri FF. Urinary tract infection. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2022. Elsevier; 2022. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed June 13, 2022.
• Bladder infection (urinary tract infection) in adults. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/bladder-infection-uti-in-adults. Accessed June 13, 2022.
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs). The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/urinary-tract-infections. Accessed June 13, 2022.
• Cai T. Recurrent uncomplicated urinary tract infections: Definitions and risk factors. GMS Infectious Diseases. 2021; doi:10.3205/id000072.
• Hooton TM, et al. Acute simple cystitis in women. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed June 14, 2022.
• Pasternack MS. Approach to the adult with recurrent infections. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed June 14, 2022.
• Cranberry. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/cranberry. Accessed June 13, 2022.
• Goebel MC, et al. The five Ds of outpatient antibiotic stewardship for urinary tract infections. Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 2021; doi:10.1128/CMR.00003-20.
• Overactive bladder (OAB): Lifestyle changes. Urology Care Foundation. https://urologyhealth.org/urologic-conditions/overactive-bladder-(oab)/treatment/lifestyle-changes. Accessed June 13, 2022.
• Nguyen H. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic. May 5, 2022.
• AskMayoExpert. Urinary tract infection (adult). Mayo Clinic; 2022.

News from Mayo Clinic

• UTI: This common infection can be serious Jan. 12, 2024, 04:24 p.m. CDT
• Mayo Clinic Q and A: 6 UTI myths and facts Feb. 02, 2023, 01:42 p.m. CDT
• 5 tips to prevent a urinary tract infection July 12, 2022, 04:41 p.m. CDT
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Special Features

Vendor voice.

T-Mobile US joins suppliers on $2.7B DoD contract for next-gen comms services

Expansive spiral 4 program to boost capabilities with cutting-edge tech.

T-Mobile US was this week picked as a wireless provider by the Department of Defense to supply telecoms services and equipment for the US Navy as part of a ten-year contract worth $2.67 billion in total.

The Spiral 4 agreement is the latest iteration of a wireless and telecommunications services framework commissioned by the DoD to provide communications for services personnel and civilian employees.

However, the contract is not limited to T-Mo, and in fact all of the "big three" US carriers, including AT&T and Verizon, have also been selected for the Spiral 4 program, clearing the way for DoD agencies to place orders for their wireless services and kit over the next decade.

T-Mobile expects defense customers to use its 5G network – and later on space connectivity services – to meet the "evolving" requirements of government ops, as the multiple-award contract includes voice, data, fixed wireless, Internet of Things, and mobility management solutions.

In future, government agencies will also be able to buy comms services from T-Mobile via the Starlink satellite network .

T-Mobile to buy US Cellular's wireless ops, plus slice of spectrum for $4.4B

• AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile US fined $200M for selling off people's location info

SIM swap crooks solicit T-Mobile US, Verizon staff via text to do their dirty work

• T-Mobile US exposes some customer data – but don't call it a breach

According to Verizon, Spiral 4 includes the DoD more broadly than its predecessor, which was focused on the Department of the Navy (DoN). However, the Office of the Secretary of Defense's previous mandate for the Department of Defense to use Spiral 3 will carry over to the new contract, it said.

Spiral 4 also incorporates improvements in industry standards, advances in technology, and more competitive pricing plans, Verizon claimed.

"Verizon's inclusion in Spiral 4 represents our understanding of the DoN's sophisticated demands for mission critical communications, developed through our history of digital modernization partnership with federal agencies including on Spiral 3," said David Rouse, Verizon's head of defense portfolio.

According to government-watching site Washington Technology , seven companies were awarded positions on the Spiral 4 contract, with the other four being MetTel, Hughes Network Systems, Real Mobile, and WidePoint.

It said that the predecessor, the Spiral 3 contract, had a scheduled completion date of June 2 and saw $993 million in obligations go through it, with AT&T being the largest recipient, pulling in $406.9 million of that. ®

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