A SCEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Te position required negotiation skills, knowledge of acquisition contracts and requirements, and balance and oversight in execution. Babin’s acquisition expertise and stewardship were greatly needed, and he enjoyed helping those in theater by communicating the field’s needs quickly and efficiently. His observations were a “direct shot back to the P2E leadership,” Babin said. “If there were any issues in the field, I could reach out directly to the PM. Conversely, I was happy to be the eyes and ears for the PM.”
Te SOC position gave Babin a realistic understanding of the downrange com- munity, he said, allowing him to learn
THE POWER OF TEAMWORK As the main link between P2E program headquarters and the field locations in Southwest Asia, Adam Babin played a critical role in the P2E organization. Here, members of the P2E team gather in Kandahar, Afghanistan. In front row, from left, are Project Integrators Mike McClinton and Richard Sollenberger; Country Manager Tony Frontera; Project Integrator Charlie Mackey; Contracting Officer’s Representative Jorge Caballero, who introduced Babin to P2E operations in theater; and Project Integrator Joe Butner. In back, holding the flag, are Miguel Buddle, IPT lead, and Computer-Aided Designer Jerome Bannister. (Photo by Jim Rose, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command)
“what is really going on and get to see the projects come to fruition. You liter- ally get to see the fruits of your labor and meet the people your work is affecting. Tat personalizes it a lot.”
diagrams for the tech control facilities, and I learned from Mr. Howell how projects were developed based on all of the projects at hand.” By the end of August 2011, Babin had achieved the grade of GS-7 after completing his degree in information systems operation management and the hours required for the internship program.
THE PATH DOWNRANGE Babin’s next assignment, in January 2012, was to work in a relatively new organiza- tion within P2E, the Support Operations Cell (SOC). As the conduit between the PM and the program personnel in Kuwait and Afghanistan, the SOC provides pre- and post-deployment logis- tics, operational support, commander’s
142
critical information requirements, opera- tional
security requirements, training
and overall situational awareness for the PM across the globe.
Under the supervision of the SOC lead, Jorge Caballero, Babin learned about forward operations in theater, which contracts were being handled downrange and how to conduct oversight visits at various locations in Kuwait and Afghanistan. He traveled with Caballero to Kandahar, Bagram, and Kabul and later became
the forward government
liaison when Caballero returned to the States. As the main link between P2E headquarters and the field locations in Southwest Asia, Babin played a critical role in the P2E organization.
A STEP FURTHER INTO ACQUISITION After Babin had spent six months in theater as a government liaison, P2E’s assistant PM, MAJ Kyle McFarland, asked him whether he was interested in becoming an IPT lead. Babin volunteered to deploy again to Afghanistan. He enjoyed this role because it offered the challenges of drawing down acquisition support in Southwest Asia, as well as working with the Army Requirements and Resourcing Board (AR2B) and the 335th Signal Command (Teater).
Babin enjoyed overseeing projects and monitoring
them through contract
closeout; knowing the full history of the project was beneficial. As part of the drawdown, he learned various aspects of reprioritizing and accounting for materiel, as well
as managing
communications with amid rapid change.
Army AL&T Magazine July–September 2013 logistics the and community
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