ARMY AL&T
continue using the knowledge and skills I gained while in the classroom.” It wasn’t long before she found her current job as a contract specialist purely “by accident” while searching USAJOBS for a position that seemed applicable to her skill set. “I’m so grateful the MICC saw the potential in me, too,” she said. “I have been with MICC-Fort Knox for just over one year and enjoy being proactive, assertive and detail-oriented,” attributes she’s practiced during her teaching career as well as on the home front. “Our family is very patriotic, and any opportunity I am allowed to help the U.S. Army continue to run efficiently is a great blessing to me!”
A HEAVY LIFT
Clavel, hauling water in July. When her well does not produce enough water, she drives to a neighboring town to replenish the supply, ensuring that her family has running water at their home. (Photos provided by Meagan Clavel)
Contract Award training, where she is on track to be certified in contracting by end of fiscal year 2023.
Tough the acquisition process can be tedious, she said her greatest satisfaction is being a part of the Army Acquisi- tion Workforce, since it “offers the gift of continued learning” with every new challenge. “Each day there is a new task with a new ‘puzzle’ to solve,” something she said she is all too familiar with as a former elementary schoolteacher, where over the years she taught all subjects to third, fourth and fifth graders.
Clavel said she enjoyed teaching, but after seven years, she felt it was time for a change. “I began searching for an oppor- tunity that would challenge me, while also providing great benefits and a chance to
Much like teaching, Clavel said at this point in her career, she is just trying to absorb as much information as possible. “Having come from a different career field, everything in contracting is new and exciting. I have an amazing team that actively mentors me so that I will be able to perform my duties to the best of my abil- ity.” Trough the encouragement of her team support system, she said she plans to pursue the next step in her career as a warranted contracting officer once she has a more firm understanding of the acqui- sition field. “Passing the Back-to-Basics (CON) contracting courses and exam are required for me to continue in this job,” she said. Continuing with her training would bring her closer to attaining certi- fication as a warranted contracting officer.
Tough she hasn’t been in her position very long, she said she has had the opportunity to offer some small advice to junior acqui- sition personnel. “Mostly, I remind them that this field constantly changes, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed, but one of my DAU [Defense Acquisition University] professors said, ‘Slow is smooth, smooth is fast,’ and that has stuck with me. It reminds me that it is better to complete each step correctly the first time than to
have to come back later and fix a mistake due to rushing.”
Perhaps the most important lesson Clavel has learned from her own experience is to “go the distance.” And, she added, be kind and be diligent. “Be kind because you never know the struggle someone may be carrying with them. It never fails to amaze me how far a little kindness can go to brighten someone’s day or to progress the contract along that much smoother. Be diligent and take every opportunity to invest in your education. No knowledge is ever wasted. If you’re not sure of some- thing, look it up, ask questions—seek the answer, seek the knowledge—go the extra mile to get it right.”
—CHERYL MARINO
HOMECOMING
Clavel and her 4-year-old daughter welcome her husband, Joseph, a Kentucky National Guardsman, home from deployment in September. He has been deployed to Africa for most of 2022.
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