JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (May 4, 2023) -- Two Soldiers are representing the Mission and Installation Contracting Command in the Army Contracting Command Best Warrior Competition that gets underway May 9 for the chance to compete at the major command level.
Sgt. 1st Class Sungkoo Jung and Staff Sgt. Comlan Affo are among eight competitors representing their respective brigades in the competition beginning at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, before shifting to Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee.
“These two Soldiers competed at their respective brigade levels and have proven to stand out among their peers. They possess the vital skills and mental toughness necessary to compete at the next level while representing the best of our command,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Jason Gusman, the MICC command sergeant major. “The contracting NCO career series demands an intellect and discipline for stringent training. Sergeants Jung and Affo have demonstrated this invaluable commitment in both their profession as contracting NCOs and peak proficiency as professional Soldiers.”
Sgt. 1st Class Sungkoo Jung
Jung, a contract specialist with the 902nd Contracting Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, represents the MICC’s 418th Contracting Support Brigade. The 13-year veteran serves as the battalion’s support operations NCO. He recently supported the unit’s efforts in Operation Allies Welcome as a quality assurance team lead and has served as a warranted contracting officer while deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
As a contracting NCO, he said he quickly discovered how contracting impacts the mission significantly for every warfighting function.
“Being able to see firsthand from initial planning efforts to actually being on the ground to receive the service or supplies all over Iraq really showed me the importance of being able to provide timely sustainment to our warfighters,” Jung said.
Prior to reclassifying as a 51C contracting Soldier, Jung assessed into the Army in 2009 as an automated logistics specialist before becoming a cryptologic Korean linguist. His deployments also include Afghanistan, the Philippines and Malaysia. A native of Tong-Young, South Korea, Jung now calls Queens, New York, home. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Baruch College of the City University of New York and a Master of Business Administration in supply chain management from Colorado Technical University.
Jung, who said he strives to motivate his peers and subordinates to continue to challenge themselves and be better leaders, hopes to leverage his interest in long distance running to meet the competition’s physical demands. He has completed seven full and 10 half marathons since joining the Army in 2009.
“The physical events are all of my favorites,” he added. “Throughout my military career, I have focused on being physically fit and continue to participate in multiple endurance events (including) multiple marathons and ruck marches exceeding 18 miles.”
Staff Sgt. Comlan Affo
Affo, a contract specialist with the 925th CBN at Fort Drum, New York, is representing the 419th CSB in the ACC Best Warrior Competition. He enlisted in the Army in 2012 and later reclassified as a contracting NCO, responsible for providing contract support for 22 installations. He spearheaded the disposition for more than $10 million in contracted equipment for Operation Allies Welcome and is also a member of the MICC-Fort Drum team administering the Simplified Acquisition Threshold Supply Procurement Program delivering supplies to Soldiers through e-commerce technology.
“I chose my military occupational specialty so the Army can benefit from my skills,” Affo said, adding that his mentor plays a key role in his professional career by providing counseling to progress not only in his profession but also as a Soldier. “My professional mentor inspires me the most … to meet the requirements to get promoted to sergeant first class and master my job.”
He recently deployed in support of Theater Contracting Center-Southwest Asia where he was responsible for performing theater support contracting and contract administration functions. He also provided contracting support for Native Fury 22 and Operation Spartan Shield.
Affo holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and a Master of Science degree in cybersecurity from Excelsior University as well as a Master of Science in finance, investment and securities from Southern New Hampshire University. He is a native of Ouedeme, Benin, but calls El Paso, Texas, home. He is pursuing his Doctor of Public Administration.
Last year, the MICC’s Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Sanders from the 919th CBN at Fort Bliss, Texas, bested his competitors to be named the winner of the ACC Best Warrior Competition.
Should one of the two MICC Soldiers this year prevail at the ACC level, they would go on to compete at the major command level later this year against other Army Materiel Command subordinate command representatives. Headquartered at Redstone Arsenal, AMC is one of four Army commands responsible for leading materiel integration, managing the global supply chain, and synchronizing logistics and sustainment activities across the Army.
About the MICC:
Headquartered at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the Mission and Installation Contracting Command consists of about 1,300 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.
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