JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas -- More than 65 industry representatives from throughout the country took part in the 1st Industry Day conducted March 28 by contracting officials at Fort Benning, Ga., in support of the Maneuver Center of Excellence and installation operations.
The event brought together representatives from 13 of the 14 prime contractors as well as contracting officer representatives, Soldiers and federal employees teaming together to execute a multiple award task order contract valued at more than $400 million and administered by the Mission and Installation Contracting Command-Fort Benning.
A multiple award task order contract, or MATOC, is awarded following a single solicitation to two or more prime contractors to provide the government similar services or products. Those prime contractors then compete for future requirements, or tasks orders, the government places against the MATOC throughout the contract period. This approach results in an expedited acquisition process.
Steve Sullivan, the director of MICC-Fort Benning, said the contract supports the center and garrison operations community in areas such as training development, doctrine development, capability development, training instruction, and simulations and analysis.
The director credits the collaborative planning efforts between his staff and the MCoE over six months for the success of the business outreach event. Despite having no budget with which to work, he said the 14 civilians and Soldiers from MICC-Fort Benning played an instrumental role in the execution of the event.
"The industry day was extremely successful. Many participants voiced their appreciation for the event, requesting that it be conducted semiannually," Sullivan said. "Perhaps the most noteworthy accomplishment of the day was the fact that we improved communications between industry and government concerning procedures and what the future holds when considering sequestration."
The Maneuver Center of Excellence is responsible for the training and leader development of every infantry and armor Soldier -- from private to colonel. It provides NCOs and officers in those career branches initial, mid-level and senior-level Army professional development training.
Center officials estimate Fort Benning's average daily student training load at approximately 12,000 service members receiving instruction in more than 180 courses. They anticipate training approximately 96,000 service members this year.
The MICC is responsible for providing contracting support for the warfighter throughout Army commands, installations and activities located throughout the continental United States and Puerto Rico. In fiscal 2012, the command executed more than 58,000 contract actions worth more than $6.3 billion across the Army, including more than $2.6 billion to small businesses. The command also managed more than 1.2 million Government Purchase Card Program transactions valued at an additional $1.3 billion.
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