413th CSB hosts Pacific disaster training exercise

By Maj. Anthony Whitfield, 413th Contracting Support Brigade, Fort Shafter, HawaiiJanuary 15, 2014

Teamwork
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
DTX
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Mark M. McLeod (left), director, Logistics, Engineering and Security Cooperation, Headquarters, U.S. Pacific Command, receives a briefing on regional contracting center operations from Capt. Jonathan Kennedy, 413th Contracti... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Enhancing war fighter capabilities through contracting and financial management was the mission statement for this year's disaster training exercise hosted by the 413th Contracting Support Brigade, Nov. 17-22 at the Hawaii Army National Guard Training Facility.

"The goal of the exercise was to ensure we have a deployable and trained contracting force that is able to respond to missions across the Pacific region. The 413th CSB is ready to respond and provide expeditionary contracting support," said Col. Martin Zybura, 413th CSB commander, Fort Schafter, Hawaii.

The 413th CSB understands the importance of training with Pacific partners to share joint processes that establishes the relevance of executing contracting support for expeditionary operations across the pacific, he added. The event provided a forum to train and build relationships with personnel from other organizations and agencies that the 413th CSB will deploy with during contingency operations in the Pacific area of responsibility.

The exercise simulated support for Operation Pacific Response, a humanitarian assistance and disaster recovery mission. The scenario was based on a 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the southern coast of Indonesia, which created a tsunami striking coastal towns and causing massive damage. In the scenario, U.S. Pacific Command tasked U.S. Army Pacific Command as the joint task force lead and the Army as the lead service for contracting.

The 413th CSB headquarters along with 11 regional contracting offices composed of personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines deployed to provide contracting support. In addition to focusing on contract support to the war fighter, elements of the fiscal triad provided the necessary means of ensuring all contracts were resourced and legally binding. The fiscal triad is made up of contracting, resource/financial management, and the staff judge advocate.

This is the fourth iteration of the exercise, tailored to provide training on the fiscal triad and validating the 413th CSB's ability to deploy and support contingency operations throughout the Pacific.

More than 200 Soldiers and civilians participated in the exercise including personnel from: PACOM; USRPAC; Pacific Air Forces; 25th Infantry Division; 8th Theater Sustainment Command; 411th Contracting Support Brigade; 175th Financial Management Support Center; Logistics Civil Augmentation Program Pacific; Navy Support Fleet Logistic Center Pacific; 902nd Contingency Contracting Battalion; 915th Contracting Support Battalion (Reserve) and the Marine Corps Regional Contracting Office -- Hawaii.