REAL-WORLD TRAINING
Hallock received an unexpected lesson in contingency contracting in 2005, right after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, LA, during his four-month developmental assignment at Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as the deputy to the contracting director and acting PARC. Here, a National Guard High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle leaves the Superdome Sept. 5, 2005, to patrol the streets after Katrina devastated the city and left thousands stranded. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 1st Class (AW) Brien Aho)
It’s my responsibility to ensure that every member of the Army contracting work- force has the training, education and resources they need at every phase of their government service. Tat organizational dedication and commitment is what helped me advance in my career—that, and a touch of optimism, especially when facing unexpected challenges, which hap- pens on a regular basis in our world.
Speaking of challenges, my “honeymoon” in this new position was cut short by the reality of sequestration and furloughs, which have hit all of us across DOD dur- ing the 3rd and 4th quarters of FY13. But this reality has never shaken my resolve to continue to portray the many successes of the Army contracting enterprise.
I’ve been in this business long enough to realize that many folks on the Hill and in the media and those charged with investigating our business don’t always have the full picture of Army contracting. Tey tend to focus on resourcing, over- sight, fraud, waste and abuse, which is
necessary. What they don’t always under- stand is that if left unchecked, reductions and hiring freezes will increase the Army’s
exposure to risk, which leads
directly to opportunities for fraud, waste and abuse of the contracting process.
How do we change that perception? If we are truly going to influence change, the entire Army contracting enterprise must sing from the same sheet of music so that our collective voices can be heard. Tere’s no doubt that we have an uphill battle, but it’s a battle worth our time and energy to pursue. Rectifying and cor- recting many long-standing deficiencies that have been overshadowed by urgent requirements and the needs of those fighting multiple wars on various fronts will not be easy, but nothing worthwhile comes without effort.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES Let me share the principles that will steer my leadership of the Office of the DASA(P):
A continued dedication to improving the size and quality of the workforce. As we all know, the contracting officer has the most critical job in contract- ing, and all policy and guidance issued from headquarters must consider the contracting officer.
An ongoing dedication to contracting as a vital mission-enabler, a team player in the acquisition process. Our con- tracting cadre at all levels must accept this role and become involved early in the acquisition process. Each buying command must be allowed to con- tinue to staff and recruit high-quality individuals with the skill sets needed to further the initiatives and strate- gies that posture the acquisition and contracting community for the future, especially as it relates to hard-to-fill 1102 series and 51C positions. Given the hiring freeze, our work is cut out for us in this area.
A continued commitment to properly positioning Army contracting so that it is free from undue influence and rou- tinely advises and influences leadership
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