Soldiers sharpen contingency contracting expertise

By Staff Sgt. Dele Adeleye, 609th Contracting TeamApril 8, 2019

Soldiers sharpen contingency contracting expertise
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Soldiers sharpen contingency contracting expertise
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Safiul Alam speaks on administrative contracting officer duties while Lt. Col. Jason Miles shares his experience with Soldiers during contingency contract administration services training March 12 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Alam is the 609t... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BRAGG, North Carolina (April 8, 2019) -- Contingency contract administration services was the focus of Soldiers from the 900th Contracting Battalion and 419th Contracting Support Brigade during a training event March 11 - 14 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The 609th Contracting Team supported the Army Contracting Command's focus on contract administration functions by developing and leading a battalion-level training event focused on CCAS roles and responsibilities. The training event covered the role and future of the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program, administrative contracting officer duties, quality assurance and property administration.

"CCAS provides essential oversight of pre-established contracts in deployed (areas of responsibility)," said Maj. Richard Ricketts, an operations officer for the 419th CSB. "Executing CCAS 101 training continues to develop adaptive leaders, increase the expertise of a learning organization, and prepares contracting professionals to meet mission readiness requirements aligned with MICC and ACC priorities."

The first day of training focused on a broad overview of LOGCAP. Participants were provided an introduction to LOGCAP's capabilities showcasing the instrumental role of LOGCAP in support to the warfighter. LOGCAP is moving toward implementation of its fifth generation of contracts. Following the brief, battalion members were introduced to CCAS from an operational perspective to include a general familiarization of unique terms and operations specific to the CCAS task. This block of instruction served as a primer for the subsequent training topics that focused on each functional area that encompassed complete CCAS training. Rounding out the day, the battalion members were introduced to the role of the administrative contracting officer and criticality of this position in a contingency environment.

Day two focused on quality assurance and property administration. While the Defense Contract Management Agency has historically filled these positions in LOGCAP theaters of operation, trainers said the fundamental understanding of each area is vital to the successful administration of the contingency contracts. Battalion members were also introduced to quality assurance roles and responsibilities, leveraging recent congressional events that showcase the importance of contract oversight and surveillance. Instruction also included lessons learned from the 419th CSB's recent deployment to Afghanistan and an overview on the critical contract clauses and elements that ensure proper government property accountability.

The next two days introduced the class to the tangible products they would be expected to prepare and brief if tasked to support CCAS operations, from contract receipt and review to contract administration support plans each team provides its chain of command before assuming the CCAS mission. Battalion members were instructed on letters of technical direction and the change management process as it relates to LOGCAP task orders. This element in mission preparation gives the team an understanding of risk, complexity and capabilities as it prepares to assume a theater-level CCAS mission set.

The CCAS 101 training event was designed to broadly introduce key responsibilities and elements that encompass a CCAS mission. As an essential task of each contracting team, the continuous introduction of CCAS functions and clear understanding of lessons learned gives each organization a foundation for which to continue supporting ACC and the warfighter.

"CCAS is essential to future Army operations," said Lt. Col. Jason Miles, the 900th CBN commander. "Now that DCMA has handed this critical mission over to Army Contracting Command, each contracting battalion must execute realistic CCAS training in order to reduce fraud and waste due to lack of oversight. CCAS 101 ensures that each 51C contracting Soldier understands the basics when it comes to administrative contracting officer duties, quality assurance, property administration functions, and contractor performance and oversight."

About the MICC:

Headquartered at JBSA-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. 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.

Related Links:

Mission and Installation Contracting Command

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