“That review has not yet been completed,” Kok said in an e-mail response to the Dayton Daily News. “As a consequence, we cannot comment on future program direction at this time.”
The contract supports about 500 jobs in the Dayton area, headquarters for the contract work, and a total of 800 to 1,100 jobs nationwide, officials have said. Computer Sciences Corp. is leading the Expeditionary Combat Support System project from its Beavercreek offices, with participation from subcontractors in the Miami Valley and elsewhere.
Turner, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued a news release citing this response from the Air Force chief of staff, Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, to a question that Turner asked him at a congressional hearing Thursday about the program’s status: “We have looked at this extensively, and it’s our view that this is something, as hard as it is, that we have got to stick with. And you’ll be hearing from the department, I think, that we request Congress’ forbearance to press on.”
The ECSS program is intended to improve the Air Force logistics and supply program that is used by tens of thousands of civilian and military personnel, officials have said. ECSS will retire 240 outdated and ineffective computer systems that cost $30 million per month to operate, Turner said.
In December, area members of Congress said they were concerned that the Defense Department review of problems that have delayed the ECSS program could interrupt its government funding for several months, putting at risk the work done in recent years on the project.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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