Staff Sgt. Ian W. Kang
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: 918th Contingency Contracting Battalion/Mission and Installation Contracting Command-Fort Carson, 418th Contracting Support Brigade
TITLE: Contract specialist
YEARS OF SERVICE IN AAW WORKFORCE: 3
MILITARY OR CIVILIAN: Military
YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE: 15
DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Contracting professional
EDUCATION: M.S. in design and merchandising, Colorado State University; B.A. in clothing and textiles, Hanyang University; A.A.S. in respiratory care, Thomas Edison State University
AWARDS: Army Commendation Medal (ARCOM) with C Device (2025); ARCOM (2023, 2022, 2020 and 2018)

KEEPING IT REAL

by Cheryl Marino

Authenticity in the workplace isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a catalyst for genuine connection and stronger communication. When people feel free to be themselves, collaboration becomes more honest, efficient and productive.

Staff Sgt. Ian Kang, a contracting specialist for the 418th Contracting Support Brigade (CSB), 918th Contingency Contracting Battalion/Mission and Installation Contracting Command-Fort Carson, has found that bringing authenticity to work not only improves relationships but also drives better results. In essence, being real, he believes, can make a real difference.

“The value of authenticity and building genuine connections in the workplace means being your true self, fostering open communication and actively listening to colleagues,” he explained. “By applying this lesson, you can create a more positive and productive work environment, build stronger relationships and ultimately achieve better results.”

Kang Profile picture

Kang joined the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) in 2022 when he applied and was selected to reclassify as a 51C. As a contracting professional, he is responsible for managing the entire life cycle of contracts within an organization—from educating customers and conducting market research to drafting solicitation and awards, reviewing, monitoring contractors’ performance and closing out contracts.

“Contracting plays a crucial role in the Army and warfighting operations,” he said, “by enabling the Army to effectively execute its missions by acquiring necessary supplies, services and specialized expertise.” But for him, the true reward lies in the people behind the process— “working with a dedicated team of professionals, building partnerships and fostering collaboration.”

Prior to joining the AAW, Kang was a 91D (generator mechanic) and 68V (respiratory therapist). As a clinical noncommissioned officer in charge, he received services and support from the U.S. Army Medical Command’s, Capital Equipment Expense Program (CEEP), SuperCEEP and Medical Care Support Equipment. He said he was also a customer of Computer, Hardware, Enterprise Software and Solutions and General Services Administration.

“These experiences as a requiring activity prepared me to understand the supply buy side of contracting better,” he said. “Before joining the Army, I was a fashion designer, technical designer, merchandiser and sales manager in the apparel industry. So, I was very familiar with supply chain management, especially outsourcing manufacturers overseas.” Kang’s background in navigating complex supply chains and managing vendor relationships provided a solid foundation for understanding the contracting process from both a logistical and strategic perspective.

Staff Sgt. Kang, left, and the Regional Contracting Office – Jordan team, conducting a site visit to Aqaba Port, Aqaba, Jordan, on December 22, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Ian Kang)

His first acquisition position was in Brigade Contracting Support Operations, 411th CSB at Camp Humphreys.

“The most interesting project I had as a contract specialist was the security guard contract covering the entire Korean peninsula,” he said. It was Kang’s responsibility to review all fuel reports and verify them with the receipts from all U.S. military bases in Korea, then flag those with discrepancies (like mathematical human errors) each month. “The monthly fuel charge tracking with the monthly fuel fund adjustment was a big learning point for me on top of those almost weekly corrective action requests. I have not had similar experiences in other assignments afterwards.”

Kang said his main goal was to deploy overseas, which he did in 2024 (to Jordan) in U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Now, he said, his current goal is to challenge the Certified Federal Contract Manager, a credential designed to exhibit knowledge as a contract manager from the perspective of the federal environment, which is focused on the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

The most important points in his career were developing strong adaptability and networking skills, consistently showcasing his value to customers and maintaining a proactive approach to career development because he “would like to be a problem solver in the AAW.”

Kang, second from left, with the Regional Contracting Office – Jordan team, during a site visit to Aqaba Port, Jordan, on February 16, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Ian Kang)

Kang’s latest career development program was the Contract Administration Services (CAS) training from June 3-12, 2025, which he said he would recommend to everyone in the contracting team. “I performed the contract administration specialist role for the Base Life Support contract while deployed in Jordan without CAS training. Because of my experience, every single aspect of this CAS training made sense to me quickly and I wished I had this training prior to my CENTCOM deployment,” Kang explained. “After the CAS training and while preparing my next deployment to the Southern Board currently, I am more confident of any CAS roles I may have to assume in the next deployment. However, working with DCMA [Defense Contract Management Agency] civilians while deployed taught me the most in my short three year-long contracting career.”

Although he has not yet completed Director of Acquisition Career Management professional development training or educational programs, he would like to apply for Army Acquisition Tuition Assistance Program and/or Naval Postgraduate School next cycle.

Kang’s advice for junior acquisition personnel is short and sweet—recommending that they deploy to CENTCOM “to learn more and faster,” in what he describes as the best classroom to learn all the ‘what if’ scenarios in real life. Doing so, he said, would offer a fast-paced, real-world environment where they can gain hands-on experience with joint and coalition operations, emerging technologies and mission-critical decision making. “It’s a unique opportunity to not only learn more and faster, but also at a deeper level than traditional assignments often allow.”

“Faces of the Force” highlights the success of the Army Acquisition Workforce through the power of individual stories. Profiles are produced by the Behind the Frontlines team, working closely with public affairs officers to feature Soldiers and civilians serving in various Army acquisition disciplines. For more information, or to nominate someone, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/submissions/.”