The Department of the Air Force, Air Education and Training Command, 502nd Air Base Wing, 502 Trainer Development Squadron has a requirement for a contract that provides information technology and engineering-based support.

502 Trainer Development Squadron (TDS) is part of the 502d Air Base Wing (502 ABW) which is headquartered at JBSA Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas. The 502 TDS’ mission is to deliver and maintain information technology (IT) based simulation and training systems for its customers. Functioning as a Government-Owned Government-Operated (GOGO) organization under the direction of Headquarters Air Education and Training Command (AETC), the 502 TDS responds to internal and external Department of Defense (DoD) customers to meet their requirements in support of Technical/Operational Qualification and Continuation Training.

502 TDS researches, designs, develops, fabricates, and maintains the systems it produces. These systems currently support DoD flying, ground, sea and technical training, as well as current and future systems (prototyping, proof of concept, low rate production) which are either already in service or destined to support client agency activities.

The products range from simple classroom training aids to static trainers with moving parts, no power requirements, to powered mockup procedures trainers and other flight, ground and technical training devices, which replicate actual system operation and are able to respond to instructor induced malfunctions and student inputs.

The 502 TDS also provides notable engineering services and support for DoD Multi-Platform Simulation/Training Devices and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programs, including the procurement, fabrication, integration, testing, and delivery of intermediate-level test and simulation equipment and ancillary equipment.

The 502 TDS tailors trainers for its intended purpose and the 502 TDS routinely uses low-cost, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS), and/or military specification parts that have a proven reliability and availability. The Contractor will support the 502 TDS in its goal of meeting or exceeding requirements for standard or specialized training devices.

• Research, analyze, design, develop, fabricate, integrate, test, deliver, and install simulators, simulator systems and associated components. The contractor shall complete all necessary non-recurring engineering (NRE) and logistics data development activities to make the developed material compatible with the Government’s requirements as outlined in the contract. The Contractor shall first determine the availability of commercial off the shelf (COTS) solutions prior to proposing any new developmental effort.
• Conduct movement and modification of aircraft in order to design, develop and fabricate mock-up simulators. While most orders are anticipated to have IT-based efforts within, including aircraft moves, some orders may only involve only aircraft moves. Aircraft moved in the past include a H60, KC135, C-17 and C-130 amongst others. The Contractor shall provide the necessary plant administrative, financial, quality assurance, analyst, specialist, technical, and managerial personnel, as well as the resources necessary for support of this requirement.
• Manage projects in coordination with the 502 TDS. The Contractor shall provide program office personnel which includes, but is not limited to, logisticians, analysts, specialists, and subject matter experts (SMEs) as needed for support of task orders.
• Provide materials/hardware for this effort to complete the systems integration projects that will be outlined on subsequent task orders.
• Project Management and Control Systems
  • The Contractor shall be responsible for managing projects in coordination with the 502 TDS. The Contractor shall:
    • Assign appropriate resources to each aspect of the work at each location,
    • Maintain clear organizational lines of authority,
    • Ensure effective contract work management and administration
    • Establish and use proven policies, processes, analyses, and best practices
  • The Contractor shall maintain project estimates and schedules. CDRLS applicable to this section will be identified at the order level when required. The Contractor shall coordinate all work with the appropriate Government representatives and shall update Government representatives on work progress and work milestones throughout the requirement period of performance.
• Business Relations
  • A primary element of project success is the business relationship between the Contractor and Government representatives. The Contractor shall:
    • Establish and maintain clear and constant communication channels with the Government representatives. (Timely communication is essential to meet shortened suspense dates particularly as it relates to documentation and informational meetings.)
    • Promptly identify PWS and/or business relationship issues of controversy and participate in the bilateral development and implementation of corrective action plans.
    • Ensure professional and ethical behavior of Contractor personnel.
    • Maintain effective and responsive subcontractor management.
    • Ensure that the members of the Contractor’s team are fully aware and engaged in strengthening the interdependency that exists between them and their Government counterparts.
    • Collaborate with Government team to facilitate continuous improvement in PWS tasks, reducing risks, controlling costs, and meeting the mission needs of the 502 TDS.
• Team Continuity and Employee Retention
  • The Government recognizes the benefits in maintaining the continuity of Contractor team members. These benefits include but are not limited to retention of corporate knowledge, minimizing contractor familiarization, maintaining/increasing performance levels, schedule adherence and preserving organizational interfaces developed over time. These benefits also accrue to the Contractor. Within the context of effective and efficient personnel management, the Contractor shall take reasonable and appropriate steps to retain the qualified employees staffed against this contract to maintain continuity and performance.
• Contractor Response
  • The Contractor shall ensure prompt response to Government inquiries, requests for information or requests for contractual actions.
• Professional Appearance/Identification Responsibilities
  • Contractor employees shall present a neat and professional appearance appropriate to the work being performed at all times when interacting with Government representatives, working in Government facilities, or representing the Government at meetings or before third parties. Contractor employees shall identify themselves as contractor personnel by introducing themselves or being introduced as contractor personnel and displaying distinguishing badges or other visible identification for meetings with Government personnel. In addition, contractor personnel shall appropriately identify themselves as contractor employees in telephone conversations and in formal and informal written correspondence.