Nellis seeks bids in aircraft maintenance competition Published July 27, 2007 By Mike Estrada Nellis AFB Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Companies interested in taking over back-shop aircraft maintenance work here have 60 days to submit their bids. Nellis officials said the final request for proposal and the performance work statement were released July 25. Interested companies have until Sept. 24 to submit their bids. Contract award is anticipated in February 2008. Captain Daniel Boeh, a Nellis contracting officer, said the winning bidder would provide most of the personnel, supervision, equipment, tools, materials and other items and services necessary to provide back-shop maintenance support for the 57th Maintenance Group. He added that the contract would include some government-furnished property and services. Affected are 876 people assigned to the 57th Wing at Nellis. About 70 of these are Civil Service civilians. The others are active-duty enlisted and officers. "In addition to bids from the private sector, a team at Nellis is also preparing a bid on behalf of the Federal government," said Tom Hales, 57th Maintenance Group deputy director. Known as the most efficient organization, the government bid will propose a workforce consisting of only Civil Service civilian employees. "The public-private competition is being conducted under the Federal government's A-76 process to obtain the most cost-effective aircraft maintenance at Nellis," Mr. Hales said. The competition is in compliance with Air Force Instruction 38-203, Commercial Activities program. The instruction implements the Office of Management Budget A-76 circular, Performance of Commercial Activities. Air Force policy is to rely on the private sector for needed commercial services," said Capt. Boeh. "We are conducting this competition to ensure that the American people receive maximum value for their tax dollars." Mr. Hales said the winning bidder will have 15 months to assume full control of the workload. "During the transition," he said, "each maintenance function will have Air Force and winning-bidder employees working side by side to facilitate a seamless transition." Current Civil Service employees will have first right of refusal with the wining bidder for employment openings for which they are qualified. Mr. Hales said civilian employees could also apply for other Civil Service jobs for which they qualify at Nellis or at other bases. "As the transition progresses, our Airmen will be assigned to other Air Force bases." Mr Hales said. The 57th Maintenance Group is the Air Force's most diverse maintenance group, providing maintenance for F-22 Raptors, F-15E Strike Eagles, F-15 Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Warthogs. The maintenance group also provides support for the HH-60G helicopters assigned to the 563rd Rescue Group at Nellis. The 57th Maintenance Group generates more than 16,000 sorties annually for advanced combat training, operational test and evaluation, and tactics development. A sortie is a takeoff and a landing by one aircraft. The group also provides support to more than 700 visiting aircraft taking part in Red Flag and Green Flag exercises each year. Documents relating to the 57th Maintenance Group A-76 public-private competition are available on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site. The address is http://www.fbo.gov/spg/USAF/ACC/99CONS/Reference%2DNumber%2DFA4861%2D06%2DLGCC0024/listing.html
