FORT BLISS, Texas – What once began as an Army contracting annual exercise focused on contingency contracting officer deployment, has now evolved into a multi-service training audience to include non-acquisition professionals focused on contract support integration and contractor management to support the warfighter.
This year, the Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC), a subordinate unit of the Army Materiel Command (AMC), planned and executed Operational Contract Support Joint Exercise (OCSJX), supporting U.S. Southern Command (SC) from the tactical through operational levels of crisis, utilizing a SC scenario with JIIM participants.
“OCSJX seeks to train contracting Soldiers on how to plan, procure, and manage while supporting the warfighter,” said Lt. Col. Renie Bright, commander of the 915th Contingency Contracting Battalion headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.
This has been the third consecutive year Soldiers of the Army Reserve Sustainment Command’s 915th and 917th Contingency Contracting Battalions have been involved in the multi-component exercise.
“It was an invaluable experience working with other branches of service because each component provided the team with other ways to conduct contract practices that were very useful throughout the exercise,” said Capt. Arlinda Adderley, a newly assessed contract specialist with the 915th.
Soldiers from ARSC also had the opportunity to work alongside quality assurance personnel to gain a better understanding of how they assist the contract specialist and achieve and support the warfighter objectives, added Adderley.
Adderley, who is currently working on her Level I contracting specialist certification, said the training was unlike any other in her military career.
Not only was there a vast amount of contract support exercises, but it also incorporated warrior training. Warrior tasks and battle drills included things such as a scenario driven two-day combat medical training, Engagement Skills Trainer 2000, Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer, rappelling, and a leader reaction course.
“It was absolutely Hooah! I have over 20 years of service in the Army and I was able to rappel for the first time,” said Adderley. “No matter what the mission or training is, the key is to get back to the basics and do more warrior tasks and battle drills, it is the foundation of being an Army Soldier.”
The exercise provided a wealth of information to those Soldiers that are new to the contracting environment, as well as, tenured in the field.
“The leader’s reaction course was a great opportunity to learn about my team, their capabilities, and to assess how we would work together on planning, executing, and completing “outside the box” situations,” said Maj. Darren Graham, a Level II certified contracting officer with the 917th.
There were several different types of contracting requirements and scenarios within a compressed timeline that added another layer of difficulty to the two-week exercise, added Graham.
“Some scenarios were nearly impossible, and far more difficult than anything I have encountered in the contingency contracting arena; we had to really pull together and think quickly so our reactions were appropriate to what we were facing,” said Graham. “Our success can be dedicated to the hard work of the team and the excellent observer/trainers that really guided us through the sticky spots.”