ARMY AL&T
CONTINUOUS LEARNING
Dunklin, second from right in front row, and her classmates at Army Logistics University at Fort Lee, Virginia, gather for a class photo after completing the Senior Leaders Course. Dunklin believes that learning from peers and mentors has helped her to be the best contracting officer she could be, and she encourages others to seek out advice when they need it. (Photo courtesy of Staff Sgt. Adriane Dunklin)
Dunklin knows about that firsthand. “During my first year, I had the chance to get trained by civilian personnel who have been in the acquisition workforce for 15 years or more. Working alongside them and learning the contracting craft was one of the best perks of the job for me,” she explained. “I was able to get the one-on-one training that every acquisition professional needs, and I was able to really pick their brains and get way more knowl- edge than I would get at the schoolhouse.”
Her first acquisition assignment was at the U.S. Army Contracting Command (ACC) – Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. It provided a front-row seat to learning how the contracting process worked when it came to acquiring products for the Army as a whole versus just buying for individ- ual units. “I was able to see the complete acquisition process from the beginning to the end,” Dunklin said. “Seeing the start of the development of new equipment for
the warfighter was a great experience. As contracting professionals, we are always told how our work directly impacts the warfighter; being able to see it from the planning to testing phases is amazing.”
She held several roles at ACC – Redstone, including contract specialist and qual- ity assurance specialist. “Tose positions taught me so much about how contract- ing and quality assurance work together to get the best service and products to the warfighter,” she said. It also made her a better contract specialist. “As a qual- ity assurance specialist, you are dealing with the contract after it is written and the work is being performed. I learned to really pay attention to how the statement of work or the performance work state- ment is written, and to make sure that the contractor is performing to the standard of the contract,” she explained. “A poorly written contract does more than just waste the government’s money—it will directly
impact the warfighter. I learned to make sure that everything with the contract and the accompanying documents are exactly what the customer and warfighter need so that there is no delay on the battlefield.”
She also learned the importance of asking questions and seeking out help from others, including her mentor, Latanya Jackson, contracting officer at ACC – Redstone. “Always be the person who’s not afraid to ask questions,” she advised. “If you don’t know something or if some- thing is a little confusing to you, ask for more clarification. Te best thing that you can do is seek knowledge and lean on your civilian counterparts. Tey have a wealth of knowledge that is available to you—all you have to do is ask.”
—SUSAN L. FOLLETT
https://asc.ar my.mil
43
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128
