Contracts with a TWISS

Photo By Master Sgt. Patricia Bunting | Ms. Alissa Chulack, 1st Lts. Elizabeth Baker and Boedy Franklin, Staff Sgt. Jennifer Didgeon, all contract administrators; and Mr. Jerry Croghan, team chief, all members of the Theater Wide Internal Security Services team stand beside just a few of their $1.3 billion contracts they handle in their office on Camp Victory, Iraq, Jan. 11. TWISS team has over 30 bases in Iraq for which they oversee security contracts.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

01.15.2010

Courtesy Story

U.S. Air Forces Central, Baghdad Media Outreach Team

Story by: Senior Airman Jarrod R. Chavana

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Force protection is no joking matter when it comes to the military, especially in a combat environment, the Defense Contract Management Agency-Central Iraq is a force multiplier letting military personnel focus on the bigger picture.

The Theater-Wide Internal Security Service team manages more than $1.3 billion in static security contracts in more than 30 forward operating bases and complexes. Within Iraq there are between 9,000 and 12,000 static security personnel protecting a base in locations like entrée control points, towers, and dining facilities.

"It's really a force multiplier being able to have these contracts because it allows the military to do more with less," said Jerry Croghan, DCMA-CI team lead. "These contracts allow the government to put its combat power and training power out where it's needed, and we contract the force protection back in the rear. Giving the military a place to come back that's secure to rearm, regroup, and refit to go out and do their missions."

All of the contracts are tracked manually by spreadsheets. At times this can cause mathematical errors that have to be traced so the contracts can be fulfilled.

"We've had problems where finance wouldn't pay a private security detail contract because the line items didn't match up," said Staff Sgt. Jennifer Didgeon, an DCMA-CI contracting administrator, deployed from Scott Air Force Base, Ill. "We have to go through the spreadsheets, which can have hundreds of line items and find out where the error is originating from. There have been times that the contract is off by a penny and finance wouldn't pay until that penny was found. When you're looking at a $300 million contract it can take a while."

The team works between 12 to 14 hours a day 7 days a week to accomplish the mission. This includes traveling to different locations throughout Iraq to help train contracting officer representatives or to settle contract issues.

The U.S. and NATO forces being able to go out to do missions or go into villages to make allies versus securing the base is important, said 1st Lt. Boedy Franklin, DCMA-CI contract administrator, deployed from Pope Air Force Base, N.C. Our mission is to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. I feel with the guards contracted out, the Airmen, Marines, Soldiers and Sailors can do this.

• Date Taken: 01.15.2010
• Date Posted: 01.15.2010 07:41
• Story ID: 43871
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ