FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii (March 7, 2024) – The 413th Contracting Support Brigade command team conducted a battlefield circulation visit to assess the requirements for more than 4,500 Soldiers and Marines taking part in Cobra Gold Feb. 27 through March 7 in Thailand.
The battlefield circulation underscores the critical role contracting forces play in providing base life support and port handling inland transportation contracts, crucial to the success of the exercise.
Established in 1982 as a bilateral maritime exercise between the United States and Thailand, Cobra Gold has expanded throughout the past four decades to include other countries, including Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. The event is the longest-running international exercise in the world, a fact that exercise leadership attributes to a long-standing history of cooperation and enduring partnerships.
The multilateral exercise strengthens regional relationships and enhances interoperability among allies and partners through shared experiences and rigorous training.
“Battlefield circulation is an essential tool that ensures operational success and fosters cohesive team dynamics,” said Col. Jason Miles, the 413th CSB commander. “The effective management and execution of base-life-support contracts are integral in providing essential life support services to more than 4,500 American warfighters.”
The 413th CSB members supported Cobra Gold with contracts for food, lodging, sanitation, and power generation that directly impacted Soldiers' morale and ensured the warfighters are well-cared for to can focus on their mission. Additionally, the port handling inland transportation contracts ensured military equipment was downloaded at the port and then moved by commercial transportation to specific training areas throughout Thailand.
In addition to ensuring that commercial supplies and services meet mission requirements, the commander's presence allows for further understanding of the operational environment and contractors' capabilities. This knowledge is invaluable for planning, decision-making, and execution during crisis and conflict.
The men and women of the 413th CSB plan, synchronize and execute theater support contracting across the U.S. Army Pacific region. In addition, brigade members provide expeditionary contracting support to joint forces across the Pacific.
The operational importance of battlefield circulation extends well beyond simple oversight. It is a critical aspect of leadership to ensure mission success, support to Soldiers, partnerships with contractors, and mentoring of contracting forces.
"Battlefield circulation offers contracting commanders a unique opportunity to coach and mentor contracting forces forward on various contracting approaches and techniques optimizing contracts to ensure mission success and cost savings," Miles added. “The experiences from Cobra Gold 2024 vividly illustrate the multifaceted benefits of battlefield circulation, reaffirming the practice's necessity for successful contracting operations in the Pacific.”
About Army Contracting Command
The Army Contracting Command is headquartered at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. From food and clothing to bullets and bombs; from tanks and trucks to boats and aircraft; from Soldiers' weapons to the installations where they work and live with their families, ACC ensures Soldiers have what they need to be successful. As the Army's principal buying agent, ACC supports Army readiness and modernization by using best practices and expert-level oversight to provide warfighters with premier contracting support. The command accomplishes its global operational missions with a professional workforce of Soldiers, Department of the Army civilians, foreign local nationals and contractors at more than 100 locations worldwide.
Social Sharing