FROM BOSS TO SPONGE TO AWARD CEREMONY
“ MAJ. EUGENE CHOI
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: U.S. Army Contracting Command TITLE: Team leader/contracting officer YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 5 YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE: 14
DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Level II in contracting
EDUCATION: M.S. in systems engineer- ing management, Naval Postgraduate School (expected in June 2021); B.S. in international relations, United States Military Academy at West Point
AWARDS: Defense Acquisition Workforce Individual Achievement Award for Acquisi- tion in an Expeditionary Environment; Army Contracting Command – Contingency Contracting Officer Award; Bronze Star Medal; Meritorious Service Medal (three oak leaf clusters (OLCs)); Army Commendation Medal (three OLCs); Army Achievement Medal (four OLCs); Ranger Tab; Airborne Badge
Choi, formerly an armor officer, came to acquisition five years ago. “During my cavalry troop command, I applied to join the Army Acquisition Corps because I believed that my experience on three major armored platforms—Abrams, Bradley and Stryker—would benefit the Acquisition Corps when it comes to research and development or program management of future combat vehicle systems,” he said.
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Te transition to acquisition “exceeded my expectations,” Choi said. “I’ve been blown away by the expertise, professionalism and knowledge of the officers, noncom- missioned officers and DA civilians I’ve met, and I’m grateful for the training and support they’ve provided in developing solutions for the warfighter. I’ve told my active-duty friends as well as my civilian friends: Acquisition has a wealth of job opportunities—for civilians and for Soldiers after they leave active duty.”
Choi’s first acquisition position was as a contract specialist in the Warfighter Support Center within the Army Contracting Command – New Jersey (ACC-NJ) at Fort Dix. “I went from being a boss to being a sponge. Although I was a captain promot- able, I felt like a lieutenant again, trying to learn a whole new world of jargon, policies and regulations,” he said. He relied on group managers and contracting officers to coach him in the technical field of contracting, as well as contracting “battle buddies”—newly promoted GS-11s who helped him with questions and contracting system troubleshooting. “Without that ‘it takes a village’ mentality of mentoring and coaching, I would not have been able to learn as much as I did at ACC-NJ,” he said.
Starting in October 2017, Choi led and managed the 683rd Contingency Contract- ing Team within the 414th Contracting Support Brigade (CSB), providing contingency contracting administrative services for the Logistics Civil Augmen- tation Program (LOGCAP) Task Order 14 contract at 16 sites in seven African countries. His team supported several named operations, multinational exercises and requirements for the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, Air Forces Africa, U.S. Special Operations Command Africa and U.S. Army Africa. In Septem- ber 2018, he deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, serving as the lead administrative contracting officer for the LOGCAP Task Order 7 contract in the 408th CSB.
Providing contingency contracting in Africa before deploying to Iraq “paid divi- dends because I already knew and understood LOGCAP, quality assurance and change management,” Choi said, and he had established working relationships with the program office and the contracting officers at Army Contracting Command –
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he Acquisition Corps doesn’t have all the guns and the glory, but we know that the work we’re doing helps Soldiers get the job done, get back to base safely, and recharge before they head out for their next mission,” said Maj. Eugene Choi. “I’m glad to be a part of that.”
Army AL&T Magazine
Spring 2020
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