Two contracting centers achieve full operational capability

By Ed WorleyOctober 2, 2018

Contracting center achieves full operational capability
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala.--Two Army Contracting Command contracting centers achieved their full operational capability Oct. 1, marking their complete transition into the command.

ACC-Orlando, Florida, began its transition to ACC in January 2015 and ACC-Warren (INSCOM), Fort Belvoir, Virginia, began the move in March 2017. ACC-Orlando was formerly a part of the Program Executive Office-Simulation, Training and Instrumentation. ACC-Warren (INSCOM) supported the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command.

"It's been a long road to bring ACC-Orlando and ACC-Warren (INSCOM) fully into the ACC family but I am so proud to have them on our team," said Maj. Gen. Paul Pardew, ACC commander. "Achieving full operational capability is the last step to bringing these two fine contracting operations into our family. ACC-Orlando will continue to provide outstanding support to PEO-STRI and ACC-Warren (INSCOM) will continue its top-notch support to INSCOM. Thanks to everyone at ACC headquarters, ACC-Orlando, ACC-Warren, PEO-STRI and INSCOM who made this a reality."

ACC-Orlando is the larger of the two operations. Joe Giunta, ACC-Orlando's executive director, said the center brings a core capability, contracts portfolio and seasoned workforce with expertise focused on contracting for Army training services and products.

"ACC-Orlando achieving full operational capability is a significant event in the life of our organization as well as a significant impact on the larger ACC contracting enterprise," he said. "ACC now grows from five to six weapons systems contracting centers with ACC-Orlando assuming the role of the ACC center of excellence for contracting training services and products."

He said achieving FOC will allow the ACC-Orlando workforce to take advantage of developmental assignments, lessons learned and shared experience within ACC.

"Our workforce will now have greater opportunities to deploy in support of contracting missions in contingency operations," he added. "We are very excited about joining the larger ACC enterprise."

Dan Gallagher, ACC-Warren executive director, said his team has been working diligently to make this a smooth transition for the former INSCOM Contracting Office workforce.

"ACC-Warren welcomes the INSCOM team to our family," he said. "Over the last four months ACC-Warren and INSCOM headquarters finalized the transition plan to transfer the INSCOM Contracting Office to the Army Contracting Command's TDA (table of distribution and allowances). This was done in a very collaborative environment that allowed us to finalize the interservice support agreement and have it in place prior to the Oct. 1 effective date of the transfer."

Gallagher said one of the significant aspects of this transfer is converting the INSCOM contracting office workforce from the GG pay schedule to the GS schedule.

"We are doing this to ensure that none of the employees are negatively affected by the transfer of schedules."

He said the pay scale conversion will not be completed until February 2019.

In October 2013, Heidi Shyu, then the assistant secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, directed the transfer of the former PEO-STRI contracting office to ACC. She took the action following a study focused on optimizing Army contracting through standardization, efficiencies and alignment to "better achieve Army-wide strategic goals."

In January 2016, Shyu transferred contracting authority from INSCOM to the Army Materiel Command. ACC is an AMC major subordinate command. She also directed the transfer of all INSCOM contracting authorizations to ACC-Warren and designated the ACC-Warren executive director as the principal assistant responsible for contracting.