WHEN COVID CALLS


THE WHOLE KIT AND CABOODLE


The team was tasked to award contracts for things like KN95 respirators, face shields, nitrile gloves, shoe covers and surgical caps, gowns and masks—similar to the ones worn here by Canadian Army Capt. Zack Zeiler, a dentist, left, and Master Cpl. Carla MacNeil, a dental technician, in April at Erbil Air Base in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. (Photo by Spc. Angel Ruszkiewicz, Combined Joint Task Force, Operation Inherent Resolve)


contracts were being executed in less than five. Once other agen- cies and organizations realized how quickly his team procured these PPE, they approached Kloehn and his teammates for help.


A lot of research went into determining which contract vehi- cles would work best to help procure the most PPE at the best price. “Te market research team, led by Chuck Nuce, was a big part of this,” Kloehn explained. “In the beginning, it wasn’t just strategizing on what contract vehicle it was going on. Te very first piece of this was figuring out, 1) Who has this, 2) Who has the amount we need, and 3) Can they get it to us in less than 30 days?” Tat team made calls, sent emails, pounded virtual


pavement and would then come back to the larger team with a formal report.


Whether the team was procuring PPE with funds from the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) or from other organi- zations, Kloehn was involved with the whole process—from researching and choosing vendors to collaborating heavily on the delivery side with the Army’s Tank-automotive and Armaments Command and then processing final payment with the vendors. While the acquisition process is typically slow, these contracting drills for acquiring PPE have been rapid-paced. Because of his


38


Army AL&T Magazine


Spring 2021


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