Sgt. 1st Class Darrick Bell, 410th Contracting Support Brigade, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, entered the Army in 1991 at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. Prior to reclassifying as a contingency contracting officer, Bell served as an automated logistics specialist.

"As a 92A, I prided myself in being proficient in every area of my field," said the Newport News, Va., native. "After speaking to several Contingency Contracting Officers and realizing the proficiency needed to write contracts, I decided to reclassify to 51C with hopes of building a similar reputation in my new career field."

Bell is currently a member of the 607th Senior Contingency Contracting Team, 916th Contingency Contracting Battalion.

As a member of this team, Bell's duties as a contract specialist include but are not limited to training and preparing for the execution of contingency missions throughout the Caribbean as well as Central and South America, and. Bell also serves as the brigade's equal opportunity leader,

brigade unit victim advocate, and the brigade armorer.

He recently provided contracting support to Task Force Kout Men as part of New Horizons Haiti 10; a partnership between U.S. Army South and the Louisiana National Guard and Beyond the Horizons 10' for Guatemala. Combined,he produced and administered more than 90 contracts

worth approximately $4.2 million.

Bell, who has served as an advanced individual training instructor continues to grow in acquisitions and has provided great dividends in his nine month tenure as a valued member of the 410th CSB.