Project: Bio-Diesel Algae Fuel Production Program
Recipient: Bio-NRG, LLC
100 West Washington Street
Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Description: The United States Air Force is currently pursuing alternative fuel technology, with the goal of achieving 50% domestic production of its fuel requirements by 2016. This funding will be used to enhance and accelerate the research and development necessary to scale-up algae-to-oil production. There is growing recognition that algae is a viable source of alternative jet fuel and algae-to-oil production is projected to become competitive with petroleum-based crude oil in the near term. The use of alternative energy sources will contribute to lower costs to taxpayers, increased fuel supply security, and reduced reliance on potentially unreliable suppliers.
Project: Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR)
Recipient: Rockwell Collins
2855 Heartland Drive
Coralville, IA 52241
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
Description: The Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR) is the most sophisticated and capable GPS receiver of its class in the world. It allows servicemembers to create maps locating their own positions and that of friendly units and known enemies, resulting in improved battlefield awareness and mission success. Currently 60% of deployed DAGRs are located in vehicles. This funding will allow for the purchase of additional DAGRs that will be put directly into the hands of our servicemembers and will provide them with unprecedented, proven, and low-cost situational awareness.
Project: E-6B Strategic Communication Program
Recipient: Rockwell Collins
400 Collins Road
Cedar Rapids, IA 52498
Amount Requested: $4,000,000
Description: The Navy is currently upgrading all 16 E-6B aircrafts in the force in order to extend their service life through 2040 and to upgrade their communications capabilities. The E-6B Mercury’s primary purpose is to relay messages through survivable Very Low Frequency transmissions (VLF-TX) to the nation’s ballistic missile submarine force. This funding would support research and development of the upgraded VLF-TX. By making these upgrades now, taxpayers save money in the long run by expanding the service life of the aircrafts in the force.
Project: Emergency Management Staff Trainer Distributed Learning Courseware
Recipient: MediaTech
300 E. Sheridan Avenue
Suite 104
Centerville, IA 52544
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Description: The National Guard, in coordination with US Joint Forces Command, Northern Command, and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense, established the Emergency Management Staff Trainer (EMST) program, which is designed to enable State and local governments to train for a variety of domestic emergencies, including flooding, tornados, and pandemic influenza. Distributed Learning courseware is necessary in order for the EMST program to provide comprehensive instruction to its users and is a critical component of the effectiveness of the program. It provides low-cost, web-based training for state and municipal emergency managers that will result in improved emergency response planning for little additional cost. Additionally, the Distributed Learning courseware offers National Guard users important opportunities to drill in realistic simulations based both on the National Response Plan and specific local contingency scenarios. Each program is tailored for individual cities, counties and states, and will maximize tax payer dollars while effectively transforming emergency management readiness.
Project: Epidemiologic Health Survey of DOD Contract Workers at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant
Recipient: The University of Iowa
105 Jessup Hall
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242
Amount Requested: $915,000
Description: Between 500,000 and 800,000 workers in the United States are estimated to be exposed to beryllium dust through work in the munitions industry. Typically 3 to 5% of exposed workers develop Beryllium Sensitivity and half of these may progress to Chronic Beryllium Disease. Munitions workers, such as those at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant (IAAAP), provide an irreplaceable service to our nation and research into the effects of beryllium exposure is critical to assuring their health and safety.
This funding would be used for the final year of a five year study of the health effects of munitions industry work. This study is the largest cohort epidemiologic study of cancer and mortality in the munitions industry. Funds will be directed toward personnel and supplies needed to examine the mortality and cancer incidence of more than 35,000 federal munitions contract workers.
Project: Fairfield Field Maintenance Shop
Recipient: Iowa Army National Guard
505 W Carpenter Street
Fairfield, Iowa 52556-2208
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Description: Army Transformation has created a two tier system of maintenance that has increased the amount of maintenance, parts, and tool capacity required at each Fairfield Field Maintenance Shop (FMS) location. Proper maintenance of vehicles and ground equipment is critical to the Army National Guard’s readiness to carry out both domestic and overseas missions and also extends the life of that equipment, creating cost benefits to the taxpayer. It is critical that funding be provided to increase the size of the Fairfield FMS and to make urgently needed repairs to the facility, which was originally constructed in 1950. The construction of proper and adequate training, maintenance, storage, administrative, and emergency response areas is necessary to ensure the readiness of the Iowa Army National Guard to respond to disasters in the state, such as last year’s devastating floods, as well as to assure that the Soldiers are properly trained and equipped to respond when called upon to serve overseas.
Project: Iowa Army Ammunition Plant Energy Infrastructure Project
Recipient: Iowa Army Ammunition Plant
17575 State Highway 79
Middletown, IA 52638
Amount Requested: $5,800,000
Description: National energy conservation policies have established new energy reduction goals of 2% per year from 2006 through 2015 along with a requirement that 2.5% of electrical consumption come from renewable energy sources. These goals cannot be met with the existing infrastructure at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant (IAAAP), most of which was constructed in the 1940s. This funding will allow the IAAAP to reduce its energy costs, enhance its competitiveness, bring the facility into compliance with national energy conservation policies, and reduce the cost of its production lines to the taxpayer. Additionally, by reducing costs energy usage by 15% and coal usage by 11%, this funding will reduce energy consumption by the plant and will create overall cost savings for taxpayers in the long run.
Project: Iowa Army Ammunition Plant Maintenance and Utility Upgrades Project
Recipient: Iowa Army Ammunition Plant
17575 State Highway 79
Middletown, IA 52638
Amount Requested: $12,500,000
Description: Much of the infrastructure at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant (IAAAP) was built in the 1940s and is now over 60 years old. Consequently, operations and maintenance costs at the IAAAP are substantial and elements of the plant infrastructure do not meet today’s laws and standards, thereby jeopardizing continuity of operations. Proactively addressing these basic infrastructure needs will avoid operational interruptions that would affect delivery of munitions to US servicemembers, cause employment disruption for the many IAAAP employees, and would result in significant cost savings to taxpayers. This funding would go toward:
- Aging roofs with significant leaks hover over multi-million dollar production equipment. This funding would allow for replacement of roof surfaces on key production and support facilities throughout the IAAAP, resulting in improved working environments for employees and improved safety for both the employees and the equipment.
- Utilities at the IAAAP are nearly 70 years old and must be upgraded to meet current regulations. Furthermore, there have been five recent breaks in the water distribution system due to severe weather and production has been disrupted. Installation of new electrical substation switchgear, installation of a new telephone system, and upgrades to the water distribution system are needed to support basic Plant activities.
- Many of the roads and rail culverts on the grounds of the IAAAP are degrading and in need of replacement. Funding will be used to improve road surfaces throughout the Plant and to upgrade the railroad system within the Plant grounds.
Project: Navy AIT Logistics Modernization Initiative
Recipient: Intermec Technologies Corporation
550 Second Street SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
Amount Requested: $6,000,000
Description: The Navy has an urgent need to modernize its supply and logistics structure with up-to-date automatic identification technology (AIT) and radio frequency identification (RFID) applications. The Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) has undertaken initial planning to deploy automated systems to more efficiently manage ordinance, ship store rooms, warehouses, and medical supplies. These systems will integrate all Navy supply information into a single Department of Defense system, improving material accountability and visibility throughout the Navy, the military Services, and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).
The result will be taxpayer savings, greater accountability, better supply chain management, and improved efficiencies. This project’s modern equipment and technology will assist Navy personnel assigned to logistics duties at state facilities to more effectively and efficiently perform their duties.
Project: Next Generation Manufacturing Technologies Initiative
Recipient: The University of Iowa and Rockwell Collins
105 Jessup Hall
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Description: The Next Generation Manufacturing Technology Initiative is focused on Model-Based manufacturing, which provides simulation and visualization of the manufacturing process, product performance, and sustainment of printed circuit boards and enclosures. The result is a reduction in the number of prototypes that must be manufactured; improved manufacturing consistency; and reduced product production costs. As life cycle costs of products are a direct result of decisions made during development, model-based manufacturing reduces the cost of the products by improving the efficiency of the development process. The University of Iowa Center for Computer-Aided Design, in partnership with Rockwell Collins, has produced and demonstrated a three dimensional Electromechanical Modeling and Simulation System that provides proof-of-concept of these visualization and virtual test capabilities. Funding in support of this project would allow further development of these capabilities in a single, integrated, and validated tool that would be readily transferable to both the US commercial and defense industrial bases. The result would be enhanced global economic competiveness of US-based manufacturing and more rapid fielding of critical support systems for US servicemembers.
Project: Performance Steel Castings for Improved Weapons Systems Reliability
Recipient: The University of Iowa
105 Jessup Hall
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242
Amount Requested: $4 million
Description: Steel castings have long been used in structural applications for fighting vehicles because of their extraordinary performance and capability. Applying new steel casting technology to weapons systems will enhance performance by using proven manufacturing technology to significantly reduce weight and improve the reliability of structural components. This funding would allow the University of Iowa to deliver new electronic tools for predicting the performance of steel castings and new standards for non-destructive examination of castings. A methodology for understanding the fatigue life of steel castings will also be compiled. The resulting improved reliability of steel castings will extend weapons systems’ lifecycles, thereby reducing costs over the long term. Furthermore, the technology developed in this program will provide a competitive edge for US manufacturers in a variety of fields, including defense, agriculture, and construction. Additionally, it will provide a solid manufacturing base to support our nation’s servicemembers.
