JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (Sept. 29, 2022) -- Operational control of the 905th Contracting Battalion realigns to the Mission and Installation Contracting Command Oct. 1 expanding the command’s mission to entail acquisition support for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
The re-alignment from Army Contracting Command to the MICC is being accomplished in two phases, planning and transition, to ensure the sustainment of administrative and logistical support required by the 905th CBN so that it can continue to fulfill ongoing missions.
Directed by the publication of an ACC operations order in mid-August, officials from both commands began immediate planning. Planning began with mission analysis followed by multiple efforts by a cross-functional team to realign organizational priorities, support coordinating efforts, and receive terms of reference and control measures from ACC. It concludes with the start of fiscal 2023 and transition of the battalion’s administrative control to the 419th Contracting Support Brigade at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, effective Oct. 1.
“This new dynamic will deliver an even more ready, trained and capable contracting formation to USASOC. This move constitutes a revitalization of the MICC’s prioritization of support for the 905th CBN and customers they support,” said Col. James Craig, the 419th CSB commander presently deployed to Poland in support of European operations. “It gives the battalion a much closer, responsive and relevant level of administrative, logistical and training support - all from a brigade staff that is very well-versed in the day-to-day operations of contracting battalions.”
Leading the 905th CBN is Lt. Col. Adam Salazar, who assures mission partners that, first and foremost, the battalion’s mission support for USASOC remains unchanged.
“The ‘Way Ahead’ battalion remains steadfast and focused as the direct support contracting battalion to USASOC and its subordinate commands. Our procurement authority continues to flow down from SOCOM, and this recent contingency contracting adjustment offers an additional and unique capability to now include ACC and MICC procurement authority under the 419th CSB,” Salazar said. “Not only will the increased staff support yield a more ready and capable battalion, but also get after the primary purpose of the re-alignment – increasing the contracting exposure and aperture for newly assessed 51Cs coming into the 905th CBN.”
Operational contract support activities in fiscal 2022 by the 905th include the deployment of contracting Soldiers to U.S. Special Operations Command Europe in support of Army special operations forces following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, the 905th CBN is supporting two enduring SOCOM missions in support of the U.S. Special Operations Command Central and U.S. Special Operations Command Africa. The battalion’s U.S. contracting operations includes support of the USASOC Preservation of the Force and Family program, special operations training, and management of approximately 185 field ordering officers across six theater special operations commands.
Following the battalion’s increased integration with the 1st Special Forces Command through operational contract support input and planning this fiscal year, Salazar anticipates increased interconnectivity with 1st SFC and other USASOC units in the coming year.
The 905th CBN primary senior contracting officer authority remains with SOCOM along with its accompanying contracting policies and procedures. SOCOM is responsible for developing and employing fully capable forces to conduct global special operations and activities as part of the joint force to support persistent, networked and distributed combatant command operations and campaigns against state and non-state actors to protect and advance U.S. policies and objectives.
The 905th CBN stood up at Fort Bragg in October 2009 as a subordinate unit of the 410th Contracting Support Brigade and legacy organization Expeditionary Contracting Command to support the expeditionary contracting needs of USASOC. The deactivation of ECC in October 2017 led to the battalion’s direct reporting to ACC staff for administrative, logistical and operational control.
About the MICC
Headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-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. As part of its mission, 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.
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