JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (April 14, 2020) – As the battle to fight the COVID-19 virus continues, contracting Soldiers from the 900th Contracting Battalion at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, recently initiated negotiations for hotels to house up to 1,500 Soldiers deployed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in New York City.
Focused on building both capacity and capability for Soldiers there to help combat the pandemic, the team conducted site visits and negotiations for hotel rooms to house Soldiers deployed to the region. They were able to secure rooms in close proximity to the Javits Center in New York City. The team negotiated for 970 rooms at a rate below the per diem allowed for the area, saving the Army more than $2 million in expenses.
“My team and I are focused on providing decisive contracting support to the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command,” said Lt. Col. Jason Miles, the commander of Regional Contracting Center-East Contracting Support. “This support has increased the 3rd ESC's logistical capacity and capability to help combat COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Javits Center is the location being utilized as an alternate care facility to support COVID-19 patients.
“As the environment continuously changes and requirements continue to evolve, the team on the ground has been intricately engaged in the planning processes with the 3rd ESC,” said Maj. Marcus Stringer, the 900th CBN acting commander at Fort Bragg. “The contracting team remains flexible and ready to assist in the requirements development process.”
The 900th CBN along with the 3rd ESC coordinates operational sustainment support for the XVIII Airborne Corps and Northern Command area of operations for emerging global contingencies and ongoing named operations. When ordered, the 3rd ESC deploys into an area of operations in support of the Army’s mission needs for that particular area.
“The best way for us to learn our craft as 51Cs is in a fast-paced contingency environment such as this one,” said Maj. Jermaine Pruitt, the deputy commander of RCC-East Contracting Support. “We continuously are forced to operate in a flexible and fluid manner forcing us to think outside the box.”
Additional contract support by the 900th CBN for the 3rd ESC included staffing, facility support and blanket purchase agreements for lodging and laundry services. The team is also working lodging contracts for Stamford, Connecticut, and Edison, New Jersey; and awarded a transportation bus contract in New York.
“The contracting team along with 3rd ESC operational contract support integration cell were able to come together and use an agile approach to secure hotels for the medical personnel supporting the residents of New York,” Miles said. “Our battle here in New York City is the beginning of the whole-of-nation effort to destroy COVID-19.”
About the MICC:
Headquartered at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the Mission and Installation Contracting Command consists of about 1,500 military and civilian members who are responsible for contracting goods and services in support of Soldiers as well as readying trained contracting units for the operating force and contingency environment when called upon. MICC contracts are vital in feeding more than 200,000 Soldiers every day, providing many daily base operations support services at installations, facilitate training in the preparation of more than 100,000 conventional force members annually, training more than 500,000 students each year, and maintaining more than 14.4 million acres of land and 170,000 structures.
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