ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. - At an installation that employees more than 7,000 civilians and less than 15 Soldiers, it's not often that workers at Anniston Army Depot see the troops they're here to support. However, the civilians in the depot's Directorate of Contracting see green suits in the hallways on a daily basis.
In addition to Maj. Jeff Lewis, deputy to the director of contracting, four Soldiers with the 637th Contingency Contracting Team are working with Army civilians in the DOC to procure material, services and equipment for the depot.
When they're not deployed in support of the Joint Force, Soldiers with the 637th CCT, who have been assigned here since early 2009, are training at the depot and supporting the DOC with purchases for the industrial complex and base operations.
Depot Director of Contracting Kathy Harvey said when Anniston was first approached by the Army to serve as a training site for contingency contracting officers, the depot's reaction was, "yes, without hesitation."
"We have a great, cohesive team of Soldiers and civilians in DOC, and they learn from each other every day," said Harvey. "We are proud of the success of this initiative."
Maj. Keith Singleton, 637th team leader, said there are contingency contracting teams stationed throughout the United States at bases where they're able to gain experience in writing statements of work and purchasing supplies.
The items purchased at bases and depots in the U.S. include computer and office equipment, cables and, in the case of ANAD, material handling equipment like hydraulic lifts. In contrast, Army contracting teams deployed to war zones or to natural disaster areas procure items like generators, portable toilets, light sets, tents and emergency supplies, in addition to the office supplies.
While the facilities, roads and grounds upkeep at ANAD isn't much different from what civilians do at places like Fort Benning, Singleton said working at a maintenance depot is rare for teams like his.
"When it comes to contingency contracting assignments, working at a base this size is an exception to the rule. We're typically assigned to work at larger installations like Fort Bragg," said Singleton. "Because of this, however, we have the opportunity to handle contracts that are more multifaceted due to combat vehicle and small arms production operations."
Maj. Jonathan Spurlock, the assistant team leader, is deployed to Iraq. And the two Soldiers here with Singleton are Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Brookes and Staff Sgt. Patricia Ward, who moved into the contracting arena this year after working in the medical and finance fields, respectfully.
"I think the part I've enjoyed the most is being exposed to all sorts of buys," said Ward. "On the depot, you realize really quickly that if a piece of equipment goes down, it can affect production dramatically. Every acquisition that comes across my desk is important to me and I try to get it awarded as quickly as possible to ensure that the mission doesn't fail."
As part of the 900th Contingency Contracting Battalion, the 637th CCT trains in the acquisition field so that, when needed, the team can coordinate with supported units, prepare contracting support plans for deployment and redeployment and establish a contracting center. They are also trained to award, administer and close out commodities, service and minor construction contracts.
"At a moment's notice, we could all deploy," said Brookes.
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