Contracting squadron recognized for workforce development

  • Published
  • By Don Branum
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  The 10th Contracting Squadron was named the bronze winner for the 2013 Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Award in the small organization category, Dec. 19.

The award, presented by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, recognized 10th CONS for cutting contract actions in half while increasing best-value contract support provided by $100 million since 2008 and for its support of deployed operations.

"Air Force contracting is a team sport, and it's gratifying to see our people in high demand, both in the U.S. and overseas, in support of the greater Air Force mission," said 10th CONS Director Jim Berns. "When we provide a civilian contracting officer like Matt McLean, who is currently forward-deployed in Afghanistan, it is a testament to our buy-in of the 'one-team, one-fight' mentality."

Nearly half the squadron's workforce holds graduate degrees, said Bert Bryson, a 10th CONS contract specialist. Many of its employees hold professional certifications as well.
"The return on the training and development investment in our acquisition workforce is really a down payment on the future of the Defense Department," Berns said. "With more and more mission support provided by our contractor partners, our contracting professionals must be well-trained as they craft the strategies that define our future contractual arrangements in both service contracts and weapons systems platforms."

Employees also contribute to the local community. Rebecca Graham, another contract specialist within the squadron, served as president of the National Contract Management Association's Pikes Peak chapter in 2012.

The Air Force Academy's Government Purchase Card program serves as the Air Force's test case for purchases of more than $25,000, Bryson said. The squadron regularly updates Air Staff and major command peers, and its operating instruction is now the Air Force standard. In addition, GPC program leaders talk with their counterparts at Schriever and Peterson Air Force bases and Fort Carson to share best practices.

The GPC program played a pivotal role in acquiring firefighting equipment for the base when the Waldo Canyon fire threatened the Air Force Academy in 2012, Bryson said.
These are some of the things that employees who enjoy their work environments can accomplish, Berns said.

More than 90 percent of employees surveyed reported high job satisfaction, according to the fiscal year 2012 climate assessment survey, which placed the 10th CONS highest among 52 similar contracting units surveyed.

That workforce comprises both experienced team members and motivated junior employees, who work together in such a way that the senior members serve as mentors for the junior employees.

"Our squadron is a 100-percent civilian workforce, with many of our most seasoned acquisition professionals eligible for retirement," Berns said. "Therefore it's critical they share their knowledge and experience with our up-and-coming contracting officers."

Berns credited the senior employees within the squadron for mentoring future contracting officers.

"This award is a positive reflection on their commitment to come alongside our interns and prepare them to make sound business decisions on behalf of the Air Force," he said.
The squadron will be featured in the Spring 2014 issue of Defense AT&L Magazine, a Defense Acquisition University publication that focuses on acquisition, technology and logistics. It will also be listed as an award winner on the Defense Acquisition Workforce Wall of Excellence in the Pentagon, Bryson said.