ARMY AL&T
OBI changed the way that the Army trains CCOs by giving them the opportunity to receive a fi rsthand look at what capabilities they possess and how they can apply the contracting skills they have learned thus far.
divided into teams of four, duplicat- ing that of a modular Contingency Contracting Team (CCT). CCOs were tested on their ability to execute an acquisition strategy, prepare a con- tracting plan, and award contracts based on actual requirements from warfighters. Mentors, who were former Regional Contracting Center Chiefs, were assigned to each team to moni- tor and provide guidance throughout the exercise. The heart of the contract- ing portion was the White Cell, exercise controllers that managed nearly all aspects of OBI contracting training. From issuing requirements to respond- ing to CCO inquiries, the White Cell carried the role of many key players that a CCO would normally interact with in JCC-I/A, from the customers and vendors to the Principal Assistant Responsible for Contracting-Iraq/ Afghanistan (PARC-I/A) staff.
Programs and Tools To ensure the realism of CCO con- tracting training, incorporating the use of the Procurement Desktop- Defense (PD2) program, a subprogram of the Standard Procurement System (SPS), was a key factor for CCOs in understanding the overall contracting process. Dan Stock, former JCC-I/A SPS administrator, ensured that the software was installed properly for all participating CCO deployment com- puter notebooks and that the PD2 program was executed smoothly. PD2 is the fundamental instrument for con- tracting offi cers operating in theater. Input of requirements, contract award, and contract administration are all done using the PD2 network. The real- ism was enhanced by the use of actual
contracts from theater and processing them through PD2 as a training tool at the BCTC. The CCOs were given a realistic example of what kind of requirements are coming out of theater and how they are processed via automation.
An excellent tool to review CCO contracts and ensure that they were producing sound contracts was the Procurement Management Review (PMR) audit, which maintained the realism of OBI and simulated a deployed environment. PMRs are necessary tools that are designed to provide reviews of contracting ele- ments to assist CCOs with improving operational contracting effi ciency and effectiveness. The PMR is designed to provide CCOs with onsite assistance and training. The 412th CSB solic- ited the help of Paul Kennedy, former JCC-I/A Policy and Strategic Sourcing, and U.S. Air Force COL Roger Westermeyer, former JCC-I/A PARC-I, to collectively provide expertise in reviewing CCO contracts and conduct an abbreviated PMR. Having the onsite experts reviewing contracts and giv- ing immediate feedback to CCOs was invaluable to CCO contracting train- ing. This PMR took the contracting training to higher levels than any previ- ous training the Army has been able to offer CCOs before deployment.
OBI’s Purpose CCOs must be prepared to do their wartime mission immediately versus subjecting to any lag time associ- ated with “ramp-up” learning once a CCO arrives in theater. OBI serves as a foundation and model for future
predeployment training and preparing CCOs to deploy. Morris summed up his future for OBI: “We have to insti- tutionalize this training. We need to capture the things that work and find ways to replicate them while improving on those areas where we can improve. Part of the way we will make this better is by expanding the number of partici- pants to include members of the reserve component and the Air Force while also including more Soldiers from the 412th and ECC. We may be able to get more Air Force participation as mentors so our Soldiers are better prepared for the joint environment. I think that we are going to see a much more confident Soldier ready to start performing on day one in JCC-I/A.”
OBI changed the way that the Army trains CCOs by giving them the oppor- tunity to receive a firsthand look at what capabilities they possess and how they can apply the contracting skills they have learned thus far. OBI should be written as a required event for all CCOs before deployment as it serves as a culminating event where CCOs take all they have learned in school and on-the-job at their respective Mission Installation Contracting Command locations or contracting center loca- tions. To be able to actively practice what is learned and receive real-time feedback on individual CCO perfor- mance in a realistic environment just before deployment is invaluable to the contracting community and the warfighter CCOs’ support.
MAJ JOHN W. PRATT is the 638th Senior CCT Team Leader. He holds a B.A. in telecommunications manage- ment from the University of Hawaii, an M.B.A. in business management from Cameron University, and is a Command and General Staff College Intermediate Level Education student. Pratt is certifi ed Level II in contracting and Level I in purchasing.
JULY –SEPTEMBER 2010 81
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