Building dedication memorializes acquisition professional

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (Aug. 19, 2022) -- Members of the Mission and Installation Contracting Command at Fort Irwin, California, conducted a dedication ceremony recently to memorialize an acquisition professional who served as deputy director from October 2013 to June 2019.

The MICC-Fort Irwin contracting office, Bldg. 512, was dedicated earlier this month in honor of Marie G. Velez, who passed away unexpectedly June 1, 2019, with the placement of a memorialization sign.

During the dedication, leaders described Velez as a valued U.S. Army civilian who took on numerous complex contracting services and supplies actions in support of warfighters at Fort Irwin and National Training Center.

Velez, a native of San Bernardino, California, began her contracting career in June 1988 at Fort Irwin and spent 31 years as a federal employee supporting the NTC mission. She served as a purchasing agent with the MICC’s legacy organization from June 1988 to April 1996. From May 1996 to June 1998, Velez served as a procurement analyst and Government Purchase Card coordinator for the installation. Velez next worked as procurement analyst, business systems administrator, special projects coordinator, and manpower and training assistant from July 1998 to January 2002. From February 2002 to January 2003, Velez worked as a procurement analyst and later as a contract specialist team lead. She then served as division chief across several divisions within MICC-Fort Irwin before being promoted as deputy director.

About the MICC

Headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-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. As part of its mission, 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.