FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii -- Having awarded more than 6,000 annual contracts valued at more than $620 million in less than two years is a considerable effort but it's the smaller portion of the 413th Contracting Support Brigade's workload that allows its customers to sleep better at night.
The unit's night job contributes to meeting the United States Army Pacific's theater security objectives. Since activating in September 2009, the 413th has developed relationships with federal pacific contracting organizations, provided exercise contracting support for 61 theater events, and established operational contract support for deliberate and crisis action. These 'night' actions leverage joint acquisition solutions for U.S. Pacific Command and expand the capability for USARPAC to rapidly plan, coordinate, and respond.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable."
Lt. Col. George Holland, 413th support operations chief, has shaped the battlefield operational contract support task of contract management planning for USARPAC - assisting in the synchronizing and integrating of commercial sector support into PACOM operational plans. He and his staff developed an improved contract support integration plan for each contingency operational plan. Including the 24 CSB contingency contracting officers, Holland and his staff synchronize contract support to 28 USARPAC bilateral exercises in 11 countries, three command post exercises and unplanned humanitarian/disaster relief efforts, such as Operation Tomodachi in Japan.
Pacific Command activated a joint task force to provide humanitarian assistance/disaster relief efforts to Japan after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The 413th validated their ability to provide operational contract support and command and control in support of Operation Tomodachi. For the first time since operational contract support doctrine was established, PACOM executed a joint requirements review board and a joint contracting support board format developed by Holland during coordination efforts between the Joint Chiefs of Staff's J4 (logistics) staff, PACOM J4, Army doctrine writers, and USARPAC. The 413th accomplishments provide the pacific Army warfighter with joint acquisition capability and flexible solutions for full spectrum operations.
Now, and in the future, the 413th will continue to satisfy Army pacific customers with acquisition solutions during the day, and provide full spectrum operational contract support during the night.
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