LOGCAP IV overview -- civilian contractors supporting the forces in OEF

By Summer BarkleyDecember 2, 2011

LOGCAP001
1 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption – George Rabb, Fluor country project manager, holds a drawing of the sample set of steps built by an Afghan student in the Korea Vocational Training Center, construction class. The sample is held by one of the Afghan instructions at KVTC while Dr. Deok... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
LOGCAP004
2 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption – William Shaw, warehouse manager for LOGCAP contractor DynCorp International at Kandahar Airfield, hands a case of ice to Sgt. Jay B. Bustamante, Headquarters and Headquarters Company 25th Brigade Support Battalion, 1-25th Stryker Brigade Combat Team.... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
LOGCAP003
3 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
LOGCAP002
4 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A laundry worker folds clothes at the Bagram main laundry operated by LOGCAP contractor Fluor Corp. The laundry operates 24-hour a day where workers wash, dry and fold 3,800 bags of laundry every day. Each bag of laundry emptied into a standard washe... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
LOGCAP005
5 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
LOGCAP009
6 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption – James E. Allen, LOGCAP deputy program manager-Afghanistan and Randall V. Hawthorne, assistant operations officer, are two of the three Department of the Army civilians who support LOGCAP operations in Afghanistan. Richard A. Barker, assistant operati... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
LOGCAP007
7 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Master Sgt. Rocky McKenzie, LOGCAP operations noncommissioned officer-in-charge (center), receives an Army Commendation Medal from Col. Mark A. Calabrese, LOGCAP assistant deputy program director, October 11 while Sgt. Maj. Carl Waddle, looks on. McK... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
LOGCAP008
8 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
LOGCAP006
9 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan--You're deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and you want a hot meal, a hot shower, a clean bed, a flight, a new uniform or if you need to put out a fire, who you gonna call? LOGCAP, that's who.

As the U.S. Army evolved into a smaller force with units focused on combat arms, combat support and combat service support during the 1990s, the need to find ways to provide services once provided by Soldiers became apparent. The Logistics Civil Augmentation Program managed by Army Materiel Command and executed by Army Sustainment Command, AMC's logistics arm, is a way to leverage civilian contractors to support and augment United States and coalition forces in both wartime and humanitarian missions.

Augmentation services are classified as supply operations that may include all nine classes of supplies; field services such as laundry and bath, food service, billeting and information management; and other operations and services such as power generation and distribution, engineering and construction and physical security in the form of perimeter fencing and barrier maintenance.

The current iteration is LOGCAP IV and differs from previous iterations in that it allows for multiple awards instead of a single contractor. In Afghanistan, the two primary contractors are Fluor Corporation and DynCorp International. Fluor operates in the northern and eastern part of the country while DynCorp operates in the west and south.

The performance work statement is the same for both contractors said James E. Allen, LOGCAP deputy program director-Afghanistan. Each contractor is able to provide the same services, but actual services provided depend on customer requirements. Some customers require a wide range of services while others require only a few.

"We're more than 42 support battalions of services," said Allen. "We really are an expeditionary sustainment command-sized t element. We provide multiple services, many that are transparent to the end user, to virtually every U.S. and coalition service member, civilian and contractor in the CJOA-A every day."

Allen brings more than 40 years experience to his current position.

"I have the opportunity to use my 41 years of hindsight as a Soldier, Department of the Army civilian and contractor to assist the 20-20 forward vision of today's logisticians," he said. "The expeditionary sustainment command can leverage LOGCAP's back-up and reach back to the corporate-industrial base to support to fill almost any shortfall and unencumber uniformed personnel to let them focus on the fight and to win."

Bagram, north and east

Highlights of a LOGCAP Fluor day at Bagram include 3,800 bags of laundry washed, dried and folded; a supply support activity, one of if not the largest in the Army according to Allen, that manages more than 11,000 line items going to more than 400 customers; more than 24,000 meals and a solid waste facility that processes nearly 200 cubic meters of recyclable items out of a total of almost 3,000 cubic meters of waste processed each day. They also operate fuel points, wash racks, MWR facilities, and other services that literally touch each military, civilian and contractor at Bagram every day.

Fluor's central receiving and shipping point at Bagram participated in a Lean Six-Sigma project with 101st Sustainment Brigade on cargo flow with the result being a dramatic reduction in container detention fees.

In addition to providing services, Fluor is providing training and employment to nearly 9,000 Afghan workers, approximately 50 percent of their workforce, under their Afghan First program. They work in jobs ranging from labor to crafts to administration and supervisory and managerial positions as allowed by operational security parameters.

The company also partners with the Korean Vocational Training Center at Bagram. The KVTC is a Korea International Cooperation Agency program that provides an 800-hour training course in five skill areas to qualified students from the local area.

In its second year, KVTC has 106 students enrolled in automotive, electricity, welding, construction and computer classes. Fluor employees volunteer as English tutors and also provide classes designed to help the students adapt to the business world after graduation. Fluor hired 83 of the 85 graduates from the first KVTC class. The two not hired by Fluor are now instructors at the school.

"KVTC brings accredited training by highly skilled instructors to the table," said George Rabb, Fluor country project manager. "KVTC gains motivation for their students to attend class and succeed while Fluor benefits by the addition of highly trained Afghans to the local national LOGCAP work force."

"We also have the graduates help train our other Afghan employees," said Nadia Myers, Fluor Afghan First program manager.

The KVTC has also provided advanced training to 186 current Fluor employees.

"With no cost to the client [LOGCAP] or to us, this training partnership is a hard bargain to pass up," said Pete Coogle, Fluor, deputy project manager, operations.

Kandahar, south and west

A focus on customer service is evident when entering facilities managed by DynCrop, LOGCAP's contractor headquartered in Kandahar.

The DynCorp area of responsibility covers more than 105,000 square miles and they provide services to more than 100,000 customers at 56 forward operating bases.

The Class I yard sends supplies out to more than 110 units and has approximately $40 million in rations on hand in regular, refrigerator and freezer containers. Their most popular items are "lickeys and chewies" according to William Shaw, warehouse manager. He defines lickeys and chewies as things like Pop Tarts, snack foods and Gatorade protein shakes, which he says are their second most popular item -- ice is the most requested item.

"I love being here," Shaw said. "It's all about taking care of Soldiers."

The billeting office takes care of about 20,000 service members and civilians every day.

"We try to make their stay as comfortable as possible," said Darryl Clarke, billeting manager.

The Morale, Welfare and Recreation area is a short distance from a lot of the billeting and offers a fitness center, music rooms, pool and ping-pong tables, movies, reading rooms, computers and phones 24-hours a day.

DynCorp also operates the Kandahar arrival/departure airfield control group (ADAG) that processes all in- and out-bound passengers as well as a "mountain of iron," according to Jeremy Jacobs, Kandahar ADAG transportation manager.

"If it flies in or out of KAF, it comes through here," he said.

Energy initiatives and cost savings are briefed to the ASC commanding general every week said Allen. He also said U.S. Forces -- Afghanistan has established an energy cell. One of the initiatives DynCorp has taken in this area is to install more efficient hand dryers at Forward Operating Base Lagman.

Jim DeLony, DynCorp program manager, estimates these hand dryers may save $80,000 per year. They have completed a number of power optimization assessments and when potential energy savings measures are identified, they submit the findings to the government for verification, funding and approval to proceed.

Government oversight

The LOGCAP executive director is Tommy L. Marks, a member of the Senior Executive Service, who has the overall executive responsibility for LOGCAP in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq and Kuwait.

Government

oversight in theater is provided by LOGCAP James E. Allen who as the deputy to Marks is the senior civilian in country.

Col. Mark A. Calabrese, LOGCAP assistant deputy program director, is LOGCAP's senior military person in Afghanistan and is supported by LOGCAP support officers assigned to the three primary regional commands who are, in turn, are backed up by LOGCAP support officers work directly with units to assist in articulating needs and requesting requirements. Sergeant Maj. Carl Waddle, is the senior enlisted LSO and advisor.

"I work hand-in-hand with my mayor," said Master Sgt. Ava L. Washington, LOGCAP support officer for Forward Operating Base Lindsey. "I push packets for their projects and I get excited when my packets get elevated [proceed through the approval process]."

Contract administration and oversight is performed by Defense Contracting Management Agency and Defense Contract Audit Agency. DCMA representatives work with the contracting officer's technical representatives in the supported units and evaluate contractor performance and issues letters of technical direction when needed. Administrative Contract Officers also work for DCMA and are responsible for issuing change orders to the contractor to start work on approved projects. DCMA personnel are both military and Department of Defense and Department of the Army civilians.

Defense Contract Audit Agency performs contract audits for the Department of Defense and provides accounting and financial advisory services regarding contracts.