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**Message from the Assistant Commissioner -- Joseph Jeu**

As we move into the final weeks of the fiscal year, I'd like to thank
the entire General Supplies and Services (GSS) organization for your
hard work serving the customer while simultaneously creating our new
structure. The stories below summarize a variety of steps we have taken
and are taking to serve our customers and the taxpaying public. I
encourage you to celebrate the breadth and skill of our diverse
organization and to finish this year with the same level of dedication
that you have shown thus far. Please feel free to send questions or
suggestions about this publication to John Barnicle at 651-681-1625 or
john.barnicle@gsa.gov.

**Boats Transferred to Iraq**

On Friday, July 13^th^, GSA's Personal Property program approved the
transfer of 10 Coast Guard boats to the Army's Alpha Company in Iraq.
The boats, 24\' and 27\' Boston Whalers with trailers, had an original
acquisition cost of more than \$800,000. LTC Franklin Allgauer contacted
Mark Brantley after viewing similar boats for sale on the
GSAAuctions.gov internet site. Allgauer indicated, \"We are in need of
vessels that can help us regulate the waterways here in Iraq with a
military influence. Reviewing your website, it was brought to our
attention that the GSA might offer a solution. We are looking for
approximately 55 Riverine or Patrol style boats immediately. These are
to be used to conduct water interdiction, river denial and island
clearance missions, troop transport and insertion on a regular basis.\"
Brantley immediately contacted the Coast Guard and they were able to
identify additional boats that would have otherwise been reported for
sale. The Boston Whalers will be transported via military transport
immediately.

In a continuing show of support, the Coast Guard contacted GSA a few
days later and offered an Ambar boat, a patrol type vessel, also
designated for sale. This transfer, with an original acquisition value
of approximately \$90,000, will be added to the original 10 boats headed
for Iraq. GSA has even located excess life vests for LTC Allgauer and
his unit. The Property Division is proud to be able to support our
military with property that specifically meets their immediate needs.

**Human Resources Initiative**

The Human Resources (HR) Line of Business is an initiative to allow
private sector HR shared service providers to compete with federal
shared service providers. This approach will allow agencies to focus on
their core missions, while the shared service providers will deliver
administrative services efficiently and effectively, with a focus on the
customer and service quality. Two new Special Item Numbers, one for
"core" and one for "non-core" HR functions were added to the refreshed
MAS 738X solicitation. Due to the technical requirements, offers for
these new Special Item Numbers have a closing date.

A Pre-Proposal Conference was held on June 15^th^ in the OPM building in
Washington, DC regarding this Human Resources Schedule (738X).
Approximately 135 vendors attended and discussed this HR initiative and
competition framework with representatives from GSA, OPM and OMB. Due to
the number of questions and comments that were submitted, and at the
request of numerous vendors, the closing date for offers has been
extended to September.

**Savings for TRANSCOM**

GSA Global Supply\'s work in adding new items to the forward-positioned
stock at the DLA Kuwait facility has eliminated more than 500 tons of
cargo from expensive air channels moving into CENTCOM since January.
TRANSCOM describes this improvement as the equivalent of eliminating two
C-17 flights each month. This allows the air channel to be used for more
urgent cargo, and also greatly speeds the delivery of needed supplies to
our troops in Iraq. Both Army and TRANSCOM\'s leadership had very high
praise for GSA. Army headquarters G4 (Logistics) thanked GSA for the
items added to Kuwait, in particular for the specific items (copy paper
and canned air) addressed via the TRANSCOM \"Top 100\" Forum. This forum
identifies the \"Top 100\" items (total weight moving by air) and seeks
surface alternatives. Morris Boiman represents GSA on the TRANSCOM \"Top
100 calls\" and coordinated with Global Supply Inventory Management to
review stocking data and initiate the addition of 109 new items at
Kuwait starting in January of 2007.

TRANSCOM\'s Major General Charles Fletcher (Director of Operations) also
expressed thanks for the fine job done by GSA\'s team in recent months
to improve forward positioning for the Army in CENTCOM. GSA Acquisition
Centers, the GSA Distribution Centers (in particular the Eastern
Distribution Center), and a wide number of support staff (systems,
Manugistics, and other) all support the forward-positioned inventory
effort that is saving over \$16 million in transportation costs annually
and moving supplies more quickly to the soldier. This team is
maintaining the GSA Kuwait inventory at a 93% to 95% \"in stock level.\"

**Security Convergence Breakfast**

Greater Southwest Acquisition Center Director Kathy Colomo and
colleagues Kellie Stoker and Larry Mathias spoke on July 24, 2007, at a
sold-out Security Convergence Breakfast hosted by the Coalition for
Government Procurement. Security Convergence is designed to provide
physical and personnel security solutions for enterprise protection of
people, information, facilities and other assets. Convergence delivers
business applications, efficiencies and cost-savings on traditional
platforms without compromising reliability or functionality. These
solutions are fully compatible with the organizations' existing systems,
applications and infrastructure, thus lowering costs and improving
overall operation.

Federal customers are looking to GSA to integrate their physical and IT
security requirements. Historically, physical security and logistical
security functions within federal activities or commercial companies
were not structurally connected. For federal customers, convergence
represents a way for these activities to get the most technologically
advanced solutions while still being able to utilize the Multiple Award
Schedule program. To meet the changing needs of our customers, the
Greater Southwest Acquisition Center is actively seeking input from
leading industry partners to identify how physical and IT access control
solutions can be made available, easily and effectively, through the MAS
program. Contractor teaming arrangements are one method to achieve this
across multiple schedules.

**Kudos for CFL Program**

Property Division staff from Central Office and the Mid-Atlantic Region
recently promoted the Computers for Learning (CFL) program at the annual
convention for the National Education Association. The conference, held
in Philadelphia, welcomed 15,000 educators and provided them with
information on the process for receiving donated computers from the
government, including an online demonstration of the web site schools
can use to request such equipment.

Two recent letters from schools in Springfield, VA and Baltimore, MD
testify to the impact of the CFL program. Fred Allard, from Cardinal
Forest Elementary, wrote to Alice Bibbins of the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office:

*I would like to thank the U.S. PTO for its generous donation of 48
laser printers and 72 Pentium 4 computer systems...These donations will
impact every student in pre-K through 6^th^ grade classes. Ms. Bibbins
made the process very easy."*

Phyllis Clark, of Carver Vocational-Technical High in Baltimore, also
wrote:

*Our principal...had a vision earlier this school year of totally
upgrading our library and our general computer lab, as well as making
sure that each teacher in the school had a computer in the classroom.
Needless to say, it was just a vision until we heard from you...This
donation goes a long way in fulfilling our needs and helping to improve
academic achievement for our students. Thank you again for your
wonderful donation!*

**New, Limited Acceptance of Air Force NAF Purchase Cards**

The Air Force (AF) Services Agency manages programs to support personnel
and communities at AF installations worldwide by providing libraries,
fitness centers, dining halls and other "quality of life" elements.
Reportedly to streamline financial oversight of Non-Appropriated Fund
(NAF) purchases, the agency has issued purchase cards with a prefix of
"4715" that are **not** part of the GSA SmartPay® government-wide
purchase card program.

To support all OCONUS locations, including Alaska and Hawaii, that are
dependent on GSA Global Supply, GSA decided to accept the Air Force
Services Purchase Card at OCONUS locations only, effective July 16. This
solution enables Air Force customers to use the "4715" purchase card at
all OCONUS GSA stores. This option will be of interest at the following
locations where GSA stores are located at an Air Force base/facility:
Anchorage, Hickam, Kadena, Misawa, Yokota, Kunsan and Osan.

The new "4715" cards **cannot** be used on the Global Supply Web site,
on ***GSA Advantage!*** ^®^ or on phone orders to the GSA call centers.
GSA SmartPay^®^ purchase cards continue to be welcome through all GSA
ordering systems. Questions may be directed to Jennifer Richards at
(703) 605-5521 or jennifer.richards@gsa.gov.

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