Author: Mike Reese

The Air National Guard (ANG) and Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) Test Center (AATC) will host the annual ARC WEPTAC in Tucson, Arizona the week of 21 October 2024.

BGI will be attending ARC WEPTAC with Jim Hardin, Robert Smith, Brad Barnette and Phil Dismukes.

The ANG and RESERVE components of our national defense posture are critical to the total force. Many BGI employees served or continue to serve in this capacity. BGI CEO Phil Dismukes said “We look forward to engaging directly with the warfighter and our industry partners to bring solutions to the tip of the spear.”

Since 1999, AATC has hosted the ARC WEPTAC each October in Tucson, Arizona with the primary objective of identifying critical capability shortfalls for ARC weapons systems, missions, and training priorities. Representatives from both the ANG and AFRC field units work through mission weapon system (MWS) working groups to partake in cross-functional discussions with shared mission units and supporting staffs.

BGI, LLC, as the Mentor Member of the Avix-BGI JV II Mentor Protégé Joint Venture (ABJV II), has been awarded a OASIS+ SDVOSB contract in the Technical and Engineering Domain. The Joint Venture was awarded all 16 CLINS in this Domain with the primary NAICS code of 336611.

About OASIS+

One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services Plus (OASIS+) is a suite of government wide, multi-award contracts designed to support federal agencies’ procurement requirements for services-based solutions. This suite of services contracts is available for use by agencies throughout the Federal Government who hold a Delegation of Procurement Authority (DPA). OASIS+ is a collection of multiple-award, Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts, of which the contract base period is five (5) years with one (1) option period of five (5) years that may extend the cumulative contract ordering period to 10 years. Task orders can be awarded under OASIS+ any time prior to the expiration of the ordering period of the master contracts. Notwithstanding, the OASIS+ IDIQ master contracts (contractor specific) can have different award dates; however, all contracts for each specific MAC have the same contract end dates (e.g., all of the Small Business contracts will end on the same date). OASIS+ contracts may be used by all federal agencies, including the Department of Defense (DoD) and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), but are not open to state and local governments at this time. See 4800.2I OGP Eligibility to Use GSA Sources of Supply and Services for details. Orders issued against the OASIS+ contracts are considered Interagency Acquisitions. GSA has specific statutory authority under 40 U.S.C. 501 to purchase supplies and non-personal services on behalf of other agencies. Therefore, the Economy Act does not apply to OASIS+ orders.

ABJV II is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Joint Venture (JV) company consisting of Avix, Inc. (AVIX) and BGI, LLC (BGI). The JV is organized under the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Small Business Program as set forth in 13 C.F.R. § 125.8 and § 125.9. In March 2024, the SBA approved a Mentor Protégé Program (MPP) agreement between BGI (as Mentor) and AVIX (as Protégé), which is valid for six years.

BGI will be attending the AFA’s Air, Space, & Cyber Conference (ASCC) in full force this year! ASCC is the leading professional development event for Air Force and Space Force officers, enlisted members, civilians, veterans, and defense industry leaders and representatives. The conference brings together top Air Force and Space Force leadership, industry experts, and government officials to discuss challenges facing the aerospace and cyber communities today and in the future. It is a fantastic way to collaborate with fellow industry members in a focused, warfighter supporting environment.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Achieving Decisive Advantage in an Age of Growing Threats.”

BGI CEO Phil Dismukes comments, “We are fortunate to be providing direct advanced training along with operational expertise and engineering support to Industry and the USAF on the F-35, F-22, F-16, B-1, B-52, A-10, EC-130, MQ-9 platforms as well as to the USAF Weapons School.  We are being responsive to SECAF and USAF Leadership to generate the advantage to DEFEAT THE THREAT as part of our daily mission. I’m proud to be joined there by Robert “Moose” Smith, Chris Owens, Corbin Hughes, Eric Dodson, Jim Hardin and Chris “X” Cross along with BGI Senior Advisors Kevin “Omar” Bradley, Charles “Corky” Corcoran and Bill “Kanga” Rew. We are ready to engage partners and customers in National Harbor to respond to the challenges ahead for our Airmen and Guardians!”

We also are proud to be sponsoring the 2024 AFA Virginia Suite this year. Please reach out if you would like to meet or revisit with the BGI team.  Robert.Smith@bgi-llc.com is our AFA team leader for 2024.

BGI, LLC is attending the Tailhook Association’s 68th Symposium this weekend in Reno, NV! Our cadre of Naval and Marine Corps Aviators looks forward to an exciting and engaging event focused on current and future warfighter training and readiness! “Hook ‘24” is an outstanding annual event that brings together generations of “Tail Hookers”, industry partners and USN/USMC active-duty leadership.

The symposium features opportunities for BGI to network, recruit, and bond with our customers, teammates and the end-user!
This year’s theme is “Be Ready”.

Hook 24 | Tailhook Association | Grand Sierra Resort

Akron, OH, July 30, 2024 – The first mission-ready F-16 pilots to graduate from the European F-16 Training Center (EFTC) in Romania were honored recently in Fetesti, Romania. This achievement, realized through close collaboration between Lockheed Martin and the governments of the Netherlands and Romania, underscores the commitment to advancing mission readiness and enhancing NATO’s security efforts in Europe. BGI, LLC, a subcontractor at the EFTC, has played a crucial role in this success.

The EFTC has expanded its training fleet to 14 Dutch F-16s, successfully conducting night training missions and executing dissimilar air-to-air training exercises with other NATO air forces. These advancements enhance Romanian pilots’ tactical proficiency and operational readiness.

New classes started in early July, with the next one beginning in September, demonstrating the ongoing effort to ensure the readiness, effectiveness, and safety of Romanian military personnel and other regional F-16 operators. This initiative benefits from the expertise and support of several subcontractors, including Daedalus Aviation Group, Draken International, GFD (a subsidiary of Airbus Defence and Space), ILIAS Solutions, and BGI, LLC.

Together with Lockheed Martin and its subcontractors, BGI, LLC provides world-class training systems, ensuring Romanian F-16 pilots receive the highest quality instruction and support, preparing them for real-world combat situations. BGI has been a prime contractor to Lockheed Martin since 1999, known for consistently delivering high-quality training and operational support critical to mission success.

About BGI, LLC

BGI, LLC is a service-disabled veteran-owned business headquartered in Akron, OH with facilities in Mount Pleasant, SC. A trusted source of Warfighter Domain Expertise for the Defense Industry, BGI integrates and deploys Training Systems Development, Instruction and Courseware, and Advanced Programs seamlessly worldwide for a diverse group of large prime integrators and DoD agencies. For more information, visit www.bgi-llc.com.

BGI, LLC  is attending The International Training Technology Exhibition and Conference (IT2EC) this week in London, UK.  IT2EC is Europe’s largest dedicated event for Defense training. The conference is an exciting mix of cutting-edge R&D in military simulation and training technology, and non-traditional case studies from the likes of the gaming community. 

BGI attendance is key to supporting our International Advanced Training campaign where we will help guide warfighters to train in the highest fidelity and effective training environments. We find that demonstrating a value add to our partners brings our teamwork core value to the front of the equation. 

We have had terrific engagements with a multitude of current and future industry partners. These conferences continue to provide the right level and depth of engagement to meet today’s training requirements for the future!

The BGI-ASI Joint Venture, formed between BGI LLC and Aero Simulation, Inc., has been awarded a single-award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a ceiling of $202 Million over five years to develop the next generation of Integrated Navigation, Seamanship, and Shiphandling Trainers (NSST) by the US Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division.

The BGI-ASI team includes Defense Maritime Solutions (DMS), with their industry leading maritime software suite that is currently fielded in US Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security maritime trainers and commercial shipping maritime trainers globally; and Dignitas Technologies, a leader in Modeling, Simulation and Training, which rounds out the NSST core team. The effort provides for the modernization of the existing family of maritime trainers.

Under the contract, an extensible common baseline that leverages the latest in gaming engine technology will be delivered.  This technical approach creates an opportunity to extend the continuum of training through reusable components of the common baseline to support training that meets the Ready Relevant Learning (RRL) initiatives of providing the right training, at the right place, and at the right time. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia; San Diego, California; Newport, Rhode Island; Orlando, Florida; Yokosuka, Japan; Mayport, Florida; Everett, Washington; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Sasebo, Japan; and Rota, Spain.

BGI is expanding our Horizons! We will be attending the AFCEA New Horizons Conference 11-13 March in Newton, MA for the first time. New Horizons brings together Government, industry partners, and domain experts that will present and discuss the state of readiness, focusing on the associated new business opportunities and the way forward to ensure future dominance of the U.S. Air Force. With keynote speakers from Air Staff and PEO leadership, this year’s event explores the approaches that PEOs C3I & Networks, Digital, Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3), PEO C3BM, and the broader community will use to respond to this call to ensure our readiness. This year’s theme of “Unyielding Vigilance: Fortifying Our Military Preparedness for Contested Environments,” fits perfectly into BGI’s commitment to provide support for Advanced Programs to prepare our Warfighters for the peer-to-peer fight! We look forward to speaking with colleagues, old and new, as we continue to engage in this key role toward effective combat capability. Please say “Hi” to our CGO Chris “Buck” Owens if you have any interest in training Warfighters, need JSE expertise, or have Big Data analytic requirements! We look forward to seeing everyone in Newton!

Training is critical in every phase of combat employment and mission success. Fundamental, Transition, Continuation, all the phases mandate blended training with combat employment.

This work at Morris with the 162nd is a critical piece for the successful development of the F-16 for the Ukrainian Air Force to ensure safety and combat lethality.

TRAINING WITH THE BEST TRAINERS!

Read the article at: Ukrainian Pilots Start Training on the F-16 in Arizona (airandspaceforces.com)