Zybura assumes command at first 413th Contracting Support Brigade

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii -- Hawaiian tradewinds blew favorably across the deck of the USS Missouri here June 28 as Col. Michael D. Hoskin relinquished command to Col. Martin A. Zybura at the first change of command ceremony for the 413th Contracting Support Brigade.

"The brigade has flourished under its leadership and tremendously improved the contracting capability that today supports the U.S. Army, Pacific, U.S. Pacific Command and military units all across the Pacific," said keynote speaker Brig. Gen. Theodore Harrison, commander, U.S. Army Expeditionary Contracting Command.

In 2009, the 413th CSB was activated under the Army Contracting Command and the Expeditionary Contracting Command in support of the US PACOM and USARPAC. Although it is the first change of command since the unit's activation, the duties and responsibilities of the 413th actually trace lineage as far back as 1898, when the U.S. Army first entered Hawaiian waters and contracting support began. More recently, the concept of what today's contracting command's responsibility became manifest in 1979 through the establishment of the Principal Assistant Responsible for Contracting under the U.S. Army, Pacific.

"Contracting is a hand to hand process, and therefore it's a team sport," said Harrison. "The 413th could not be successful without the support of the entire acquisition team, of operational planners, research managers, logisticians, quality assurance professionals, contracting officer representatives and most of all, senior leaders. So thank you to the USARPAC team and supporting units… for providing world class contracting support for our warfighters across the PACOM area of operations."

In its three years, the 413th CSB has deployed 26 contingency contracting officers across Asia and the Pacific to complete contracting missions. These missions included 12 joint exercises and 8 humanitarian assistance missions, in 14 different countries, and, according to Harrison, that was punctuated by support in Japanese tsunami relief efforts in 2011 with Operation Tomodachi.

"While the 413th is saying goodbye to an outstanding leader, the command is fortunate to welcome another superb leader in Col. Martin Zybura," said Harrison. "As a former member of the director of the Enterprise Systems Integrations Center, with is part of the Armaments Research and Developmental Command, he is technically astute, and he brings a broad level of understanding and purpose to the command… he understands the demands of the Warfighter and the importance of cultivating relationships with Army combatant commands… I look forward to working with him."

Zybura now has the responsibility of leading the organization as it supports the warfighters on the battlefield by providing contingency contracting.

"The 413th Contracting support Brigade has a dynamic and challenging mission," said Zybura. "These first three years, they've accomplished some phenomenal work supporting contracting operations across the Pacific. I am blessed to be taking command of this brigade, and look forward to working with our partners across the area of responsibility. This is a great responsibility and as we look to the future, there will surely be new challenges and opportunities and we stand ready to take them on."

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