Leadership perspective: End of fiscal year is our time to shine

By Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Gabbert, Mission and Installation Contracting Command commanding generalSeptember 11, 2015

End of fiscal year is our time to shine
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End of fiscal year is our time to shine
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JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas -- (Sept. 11, 2015) It's September, and for all of us in the MICC it is crunch time to obligate every dollar for our customers as part of end-of-year fiscal year-end closeout. As of Sept. 1 we have obligated from 83 to 89 percent of funds for the major commands that we support. We are on track to accomplish more than 37,000 contract actions valued at about $6 billion this fiscal year.

But it is not just about the contracts. What we are providing to our customers, to the Army and to the nation are mission-essential goods and services Soldiers must have to accomplish the day-to-day mission. In addition, what we do has so many ramifications reaching much further than the MICC. For instance, our small business specialists are striving to reach all five of the small business goals, which would be the first time for the MICC to accomplish this. When the MICC reaches its small business goals, it helps the Army Contracting Command, which helps Army Materiel Command, which helps Department of the Army reach their small business goals. Everything we do has broader implications that are tied to Army goals.

Take the MICC goal for historically underutilized business zone: the MICC goal makes up approximately 55 percent of the AMC HUBzone spend amount. As Gen. Dennis Via, the AMC commanding general said, "As the MICC goes, so goes the Army" in relation to small business goals. What we do is so vital to our Army and, of course, to American businesses, which impacts the overall American economy.

The MICC mission is now more important than ever because the Army requires consistent, on-time funding to maintain readiness, achieve efficiencies and ensure the total force is prepared to win in a complex world. It is evident that the application of the Contracting Tactical Operations Center application across the command coupled with the personal accountability guided by the Command Contracting Operations Metrics have improved our effectiveness. The success of our mission is directly tied to our ability to further enhance CTOC and metrics. We are a more transparent organization with the application of CTOC and by adopting metrics to measure our performance. I'd like to personally thank each member of the offices at forts Bliss, Buchanan, Campbell, Drum, Eustis, Jackson, Riley and Sill for their tremendous efforts to reach all "Green" ratings on their metrics goals for the last quarter while reaching exceptional levels of performance. What an incredible achievement.

Another impressive accomplishment by our workforce is its dedication and efforts to close out contracts. We are up 123 percent of contracts closed out from last year, and we are one of only two commands throughout ACC that have closed out any contracts at all. Every time I meet with senior Army leaders I am reminded how great the MICC people are and how our workforce goes that extra mile for our customers. You all set the standard for others to follow. Because of our team's efforts, we are known as the Army's premier contracting organization.

Let me welcome Command Sgt. Maj. Tomeka O'Neal as our new command sergeant major. She is an outstanding leader and comes to the MICC after serving as the command sergeant major for the 1st Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade at Fort Riley, Kansas. Her experience with sustainment operations is highly valuable and can be the link between acquisitions and our customers at the tactical and operational levels. Her selection as our command sergeant major is indicative of her leadership abilities over her military career, and I welcome the enthusiasm she will bring to our Soldiers, Army civilians, partners and families.

Please continue to bear down during end-of-year operations, because what every MICC member does for our Soldiers is heavily relied on. I thank you for all the dedication and long hours you give to make fiscal 2015 a success. Your inspiring achievements and selfless service really make a difference for the Army, and you make the MICC a great place to work.

Related Links:

Mission and Installation Contracting Command

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Gabbert