JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (Oct. 29, 2014) -- The director of contracting at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, culminates 38 years of federal service this week as he prepares to retire.
Bruce Cogossi has guided contracting operations at the Mission and Installation Contracting Command-Fort Eustis contracting office since June 2007 and will retire Oct. 31.
"Bruce is a consummate professional whose leadership during several significant organizational changes, to include the establishment of Joint Base Langley-Eustis, provided much needed calm and stability. His years of honorable and dedicated service to the U.S. Army are a true testament to truly living Army values," said Tim Tweed, director of the MICC Field Directorate Office-Fort Eustis at Joint Base Langley-Eustis.
Cogossi leads an 85-person team of acquisition professionals who are responsible for complying with numerous regulations and policies, while providing support to various supported customers. Those include the Army Training and Doctrine Command Headquarters at JBLE; Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Installation Management Command at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas; and Program Executive Office-Enterprise Information Systems Distributed Learning System at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. During fiscal 2014, the contracting office executed more than 1,500 contract actions for supplies, services and minor construction valued at more than $479 million.
Cogossi entered the Army Acquisition Corps in 1993 as chief of the co-production division with the Industrial Operations Command at Rock Island, Illinois. He moved on to become the military deputy for the Defense Supply Service in Washington before serving as the director for the MICC-West Point contracting office in New York. He next served as the business systems division chief for the Army Contracting Agency Northern Region Headquarters at Fort Monroe, Virginia.
Having been given the opportunity to serve as a Soldier and as a federal civilian, the Sellersville, Pennsylvania, native said the dedication of the men and women he has served with is what he will remember the most about his career.
"Witnessing first-hand the dedication of our Soldiers and civilians is remarkable," Cogossi said. "It is so unfortunate how the public oftentimes perceives the federal workforce. If only the public could see how truly dedicated and hard-working these public servants are, perhaps the public could better appreciate what they get for their taxpayer dollars. It has truly been an honor for me to serve."
No longer dedicating his life to long hours and deadlines, Cogossi will soon trade a career of writing contracts for a passion for creative writing.
"I like to do creative writing, which has been on hold for quite some time. I am hoping retirement will allow me to get back into it," he said.
He admits he'll miss working with the great people that make up not only the MICC-Fort Eustis contracting office, but also its customers. He also plans to enjoy the flexibility of having more free time.
"Initially, we are having family at our house this Thanksgiving," Cogossi said. "Then, my wife and I plan to take intermittent trips throughout the U.S. in our RV."
They also plan to spend time with their children and grandchildren who are in Raleigh, North Carolina, Phoenix and San Diego.
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