Contracting brigade supports partnership-building exercise

By Rachel Clark, 409th CSBNovember 1, 2012

Members of the 409th Contracting Support Brigade participated in Jackal Stone 2012, a Special Operations Command Europe multinational Special Forces partnership-building exercise conducted in Croatia in September.

The brigade, headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany, provided contracting support at five locations across Croatia in support of the mission.

The 409th CSB's 624th Contingency Contracting Team, part of the 903rd Contingency Contracting Battalion, Wiesbaden, Germany, started planning a year ago for JS12 and integrated with the SOCEUR logistics team to ensure all contracting requirements for the exercise

were met.

"Getting our contracting teams engaged early in the planning stages ensures open communication and leads to better strategic planning," said Col. William Bailey, commander, 409th CSB.

The team, in conjunction with support provided by the 409th CSB's Kaiserslautern-based Theater Contracting Center, awarded six contracts worth more than $1.9 million.

"What we do as contracting specialists is critical to the mission," said Staff Sgt. Joshua Thompson, 624th CCT. "While supporting SOCEUR during this exercise, we weren't necessarily in the fight but our support kept them in the fight."

The contracts provided logistical support for approximately 1,700 personnel from 18 NATO and Partnership for Peace nations; covering everything from food, vehicles, life support services, fuel, a boat lease and construction materials, but not without their own logistical challenges.

"Locating reliable vendors in the immediate area was a challenge. Most of the supplies that we are procuring are coming from sources that are located more than 100 kilometers from where we are running operations," said Sgt. 1st Class William Rawe, 624th CCT.

"This exercise has been an excellent opportunity for the team to gain experience with all aspects of the contracting process," said Maj. Jessica Kovach, contracting officer and team leader, 624th CCT.

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