The 23d Contracting Squadron (CONS) hosted U.S. AirForce Col. Christopher Jones, Air Combat Command (ACC) director of contracting, and his delegation for an official visit May 5-6, 2026, highlighting how strategic acquisitions at Moodydirectly support combat operations.
The visit focused on demonstrating how the 23d CONS enables the missions of the 23d Wingand 93d Air Ground Operations Wing through innovative contracting solutions and mission focused partnerships.
“Our Airmen are the link to commercial support of the Air Force’s combat capability,” said U.S.Air Force Maj. James Barrett, 23d Contracting Squadron commander. “Every acquisition that we execute supports the warfighter. We are stewards of the taxpayer dollars and use that money asa weapon system. This visit is an opportunity to better integrate acquisition into the battlefield.”
During the two-day visit, the team observed a range of mission capabilities supported by thesquadron, including the showcase of an Airmen-developed artificial intelligence (AI) contracting tool designed to streamline acquisition processes and improve efficiency. The tool reflectsongoing efforts by Moody Airmen to accelerate innovation and enhance operational readiness.
“We built this tool with the goal of aligning our acquisition process with our efficient warfighting capability,” said U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Nasir Smith, 23d Contracting Squadron Services andCommodities Flight officer in charge. “By optimizing our acquisition processes through ArtificialIntelligence, we can deliver critical resources to our mission partners to speed lethality,strengthen our nation’s economy through military and commercial relationships and drive thenext generation of innovation and acquisition warfighting professionals across the Force.”
Following the demonstration, Jones engaged with the development team, asking questionsabout implementation, scalability and how the tool could be adapted for use across other contracting units.
“What impressed me most is the initiative of these Airmen,” Jones said. “They’re not waiting for change, they’re driving it. Solutions like this have the potential to improve how we operateacross the entire force.”
The delegation toured the 820th Base Defense Group (BDG), where leaders highlighted arecently completed $221,000 sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) modernizationproject. The upgrade enhances secure communications and operational planning capabilities forthe unit, reinforcing the installation’s ability to support agile combat operations.
An upgrade to the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System (JWICS) secured the BDG’s top secret intelligence analysis capabilities and was directly credited with saving livesduring combat operations in the past year.
“This modernization directly strengthens our ability to plan and execute missions securely,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Megan Hall, 820th BDG commander. “Having an updated SCIF ensures ourdefenders can operate with the speed, precision and protection required in today’s threatenvironment.”
The visit concluded with a squadron all call, where Jones presented the 23d CONS with a unittrophy recognizing its performance and contributions to the command. He also recognizedoutstanding Airmen with commander’s coins for their achievements.
“This squadron sets the standard for excellence,” Jones said. “Their ability to innovate whiledelivering consistent, mission-focused results is exactly what we need across Air Combat Command.”
ACC’s contracting directorate provides on-site contracting staff support, acquisition oversightand policy guidance for a $3 billion portfolio executed across 14 operational contracting squadrons. The organization also advises the ACC commander and develops the nextgeneration of Air Force contracting professionals.
“Our role is to connect strategy to execution,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. RyanLedford, Air Force Installation Contracting Center (AFICC/KC) functional area manager. “Visitslike this allow us to see firsthand how contracting professionals are enabling the mission at the tactical level and identify ways to scale that success across the enterprise.”
Through strategic sourcing, innovation and close collaboration with mission partners, the 23dCONS continues to play a critical role in ensuring warfighters at Moody Air Force Base remainequipped, ready and lethal.