SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --
Air Force contracting specialists are responsible for assisting in the contract process of major purchases to guarantee the Air Force receives the best value for every dollar spent. They must follow strict standards and practices to ensure every detail is covered every step of the way.
These skills were put to the test during a five-day contingency contracting exercise conducted on Fort Sill, Oklahoma, from April 16-20, 2018.
Although a few Airmen from each base had to stay back to man the shop, contracting Airmen from Sheppard Air Force Base, Altus AFB, Goodfellow AFB, Keesler AFB and Maxwell AFB all played a different role in the mock humanitarian effort.
The first two days of the exercise consisted of briefings, land navigation training and preparing the contracting Airmen for what was to come on the third day of training.
Day three started off at the Fort Sill Post Exchange. Airmen were split into teams and given a list of essential items to purchase for the mission, just as they would in a real contingency effort.
The teams then had to find all of the essentials and calculate the total cost in a timely manner.
Once all the teams completed the first task, they made their way to Camp Eagle Fort NCO training area for a land navigation exercise in a government convoy.
However, on the way to camp, the convoy was derailed by a simulated car-jacking. Airmen were forced out of the vehicle by their instructors who were shouting commands and aiming fake weapons.
Staff Sgt. Jacob Brantingham, a contract specialist from Altus AFB, said the Airmen participating in this exercise had impressive resilience and fantastic readiness. They were alert and moved with a sense of purpose no matter what challenge might be at hand.
Soon after the chaos of the car-jacking, the teams arrived at the destination. They were then given a safety briefing and the grid coordinates to which they would have to locate, retrieve the item placed there, and return back to the rally point with said item as quickly as possible.
Each team had to work together to find the most efficient route and accomplish the goal.
“The most important thing is learning to cope with pressure.” said 1st Lt Elizabeth Mckenna, contracting specialist for the 82nd Contracting Squadron at Sheppard AFB.
All the teams safely and successfully completed the land navigation exercise and returned feeling tired, but accomplished.
McKenna said it can be hard for contracting Airmen to truly grasp the impact of their career. Her hope was that this exercise could help them to understand the importance of what they do and simulate a feeling of pride.
Days four and five of the exercise are scheduled to include learning how to close out deployment contracts, a visit to the shooting range and a review of the whole week.