One of Army Contracting Command's original contracting center executive directors has retired.
Bruce Berinato, executive director of ACC-New Jersey, closed out his career March 27.
"After 37 years in contracting, I felt it was time to move on to a new chapter in my life," Berinato said. "I have an opportunity to teach undergraduate business and will probably pursue that after I take the summer off."
Brig. Gen. Ted Harrison, ACC commanding general, said he appreciated Berinato's many years of "outstanding service to America and its Soldiers."
"His dedication to Army contracting has been unwavering," Harrison said. "Aside from being a highly qualified contracting officer, Bruce was a dynamic leader, very articulate and well informed. He led by example and always looked out for his ACC-N.J. team at Fort Dix and Picatinny. His advice and counsel to the ACC leadership team will be sorely missed."
During his retirement ceremony, Berinato received the Meritorious Civilian Service Award for his "outstanding leadership" of ACC-N.J. He has "tirelessly supported the formulation of ACC … and its initial growing pains to what it is today, supporting Army troops and missions around the world, 24/7," the nomination said.
Berinato led ACC-N.J. and its predecessor organizations, the Joint Munitions and Lethality Contracting Center and ACC-Picatinny, both at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., for eight years. Under his leadership ACC-N.J. stood up as one of ACC's six major contracting centers, realigning ACC-Picatinny and an ACC contracting cell at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., into the new contracting center. It has organizational elements at Picatinny Arsenal, Fort Dix and Watervliet Arsenal, N.Y. The new ACC-N.J. stood up in seven months and represented a significant achievement for ACC, according to the award nomination.
Paul Milenkowic, ACC-N.J. deputy director, will be the acting executive director until Berinato's successor is selected.
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