Leader’s perspective: MICC delivers wins for Soldiers, Army

By Brig. Gen. Doug Lowrey, Mission and Installation Contracting Command commanding generalOctober 27, 2021

Brig. Gen. Douglas Lowrey, the commanding general for the Mission and Installation Contracting Command, and members of Team MICC outline the command’s new priorities.

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (Oct. 27, 2021) -- We begin fiscal 2022 on a high note after the incredible efforts by the men and women of the Mission and Installation Contracting Command to close out fiscal 2021.

The MICC legacy of fiscal 2021 is how MICC men and women continued to accomplish the mission by teleworking and doing all we can to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The MICC’s top priority remains our people, and we will continue to ensure the health and welfare of each member of our team.

I recently attended the annual Association of the United States Army conference to directly hear the secretary of the Army, the chief of staff, and other top Army leaders explain that the Army’s top priorities remain people, readiness and modernization. On Oct. 1, I released my commander’s intent and mission statement, and it all starts with the Army chief of staff’s mantra of “Winning Matters.”

In the commander’s intent document, we laid out the keys to success and lines of effort to lead the MICC to even greater heights ensuring we are tied to Army, Army Materiel Command and Army Contracting Command priorities. Our keys to success start with having a positive work environment and includes forging relationships, inspiring ownership and ends with a “Live the Legacy” culture. One of the keys to the MICC’s success is how MICC members at all units are nested with their mission partners. You have forged relationships essential to complete a successful end of fiscal year as well as built ties for years to come. Our mission partners know the MICC stands ready with them at any time and any place.

The MICC’s lines of effort are action people first, deliver comprehensive contracting effects, influence readiness, and modernize with the future. Through these initiatives, the MICC delivers the power of Army contracting within the continental United States strategic support area for Army forces to ensure a globally dominant land force capability. We produced the Commander’s Intent video at https://youtu.be/u9H3LZpCg3k to further explain our way ahead. Look for upcoming MICC videos that further explain our lines of effort in the coming weeks.

The MICC team being ready anywhere and on a moment’s notice was evident as our Soldiers and Army civilians delivered contract support to multiple locations in support of the Operation Allies Welcome mission. Since that mission began, MICC personnel have been fully integrated to provide the critical business advice and immediate contingency contracting support for this evolving mission. MICC contracting professionals executed numerous contract actions totaling $6.7 million with an additional 249 Government Purchase Card actions totaling $1.3 million through the end of the fiscal year. Additionally, MICC members actively participated in daily Army North meetings to synchronize and de-conflict ongoing efforts in support of OAW.

Amazing work throughout the command, but our contracting support doesn’t end on Sept. 30. MICC men and women continue to coordinate, integrate and synchronize acquisition efforts with mission partners to deliver readiness effects aligned with AMC and ACC priorities. We continue to refine our mission analysis to support the optimization of contracting capabilities focusing on global support to emerging operations to deliver comprehensive contracting effects and influence readiness across the Army. While we continue to work with our mission partners to improve ownership, we live the legacy every day by standing ready for current and future operations. I challenge each of you to conduct contract terrain walks, get out to observe and assess the services your contracts provide.

As we launch into fiscal 2022, the MICC Directorate of Operations’ Training Division staff is leaning forward to posture the command for success with all our training efforts. We kick it off with the publishing of the FY22 MICC Annual Training Guidance that sets the command’s priorities and focus areas regarding training while ensuring we are fully nested with ACC and AMC objectives. Additionally the training division is working closely with ACC to revolutionize 51C readiness by expanding our role with the warfighter program, validating individual collective tasks, updating the mission essential tasks, and enhancing our external evaluation program in order to improve our readiness posture. Furthermore, we are looking to institute a 51C Master Gunner Course as well as introduce a Contracting Support Operations and S-3 Course. I also need your thoughts on how we can incorporate our ultra-talented civilians into the initiatives as well. Let me also remind our MICC leaders to complete the senior rater performance evaluations for our senior contracting personnel in grades GS-12 through GS-15 by Dec. 31. The SRPE is used to evaluate the potential of civilian employees in designated grades to perform in positions of increased responsibility.

When I became your commanding general, I asked the MICC workforce to challenge the things we do every day, to challenge me personally, and to win. These three things are essential to moving ourselves and the MICC forward to a brighter future. The Army and MICC have a proud history of Soldiers and Army civilians accomplishing extraordinary things on a daily basis. I believe our best days are still ahead of us.

I would be remise if I didn’t ask our MICC members throughout the nation and Puerto Rico to remember the 52 Soldiers and Army civilians from our command who are deployed in support of operations around the world. They may not be with us today, but they are in our thoughts and prayers until they return home safely.

In closing, I’d like to thank each MICC member for all the sacrifices, efforts and dedication to our mission. It is because of your efforts to live the legacy that the MICC delivers the power of Army contracting and ensures a globally dominant land force capability. Go Live your Legacy!

People First! Winning Matters! Live the Legacy!