Photo By Master Sgt. Beth Del Vecchio | U.S. Army Col. John Helm (far left), an Operational Contract Support Joint Exercise...... read more read more
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SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii – Truly successful Operational Contract Support is not just about contracting; its real power lies in the second and third-order effects of decisions made during all phases of operations.
Joint and combined exercises, like Operational Contract Support Joint Exercise 2015 underway here, have begun highlighting cross-functional talk during all stages of OCS and have implemented exercise elements like the Joint Requirements Effects Cell, or JREC, to keep integration at the forefront. This is the sixth year of OCSJX, but the first in which a JREC has been incorporated.
Operational Contract Support is the process of planning for and obtaining supplies, services and construction through commercial sources for joint operations, but the impact of OCS can be much greater than just supplies and services. Proper OCS can be navigated so that battlefield effects further commanders’ intent.
Doctrine governing OCS, Joint Publication 4-10, breaks the OCS life-cycle into three functional areas: Contract support integration, contracting support, and contractor management. Leadership at the Joint Staff have recognized the need for a culture change in the DOD community, in which all involved embrace integration at the earliest stages of planning and throughout the entirety of OCS, to include oversight and management after the contract is implemented.
The OCSJX-15 JREC is made up of all services and various specialties, all non-contracting personnel. The JREC mission is to simulate the requirements generation that the components and downrange units would be creating for the acquisition force to execute.
U.S. Air Force Col. Curt Wilken, who works as a logistics planner for Headquarters, Pacific Air Forces, is the officer in charge of the OCSJX-15 JREC training team. Wilken said the value of the JREC is unique. It’s made up of non-contracting personnel, and they are the ones who need to be educated on OCS in order to spread the word to their services when they return home.
“The JREC represents what the commander’s forces look like on the ground,” Wilken said. “We also represent the operator, so we are plugged into what requirements are really needed to complete the mission.”
If OCSJX is to be more than a “contracting exercise,” the JREC is what will make that so, Wilken said.
According to Wilken, inside of OCSJX-15, the JREC works directly with the Regional Contracting Centers to clearly define requirements needed to complete the mission for the joint force commander. The JREC is also charged with conducting oversight of contractors and services in order to ensure proper OCS effects on the battlefield. The training team works with Contracting Officer Representatives, from non-contracting functions, on the JREC to spark dialogue about OCS and encourage everyone, from the tactical to strategic level, to incorporate it into every decision they make.
“The contracting specialists are in the RCCs. The JREC is everything but contracting,” Wilken continued. “We are there to help at the beginning and the end. We help define each requirement and also manage the sustainment of those contracts, to include the contractors and the services they provide.”
U.S. Army Capt. Jonathan Ward, OCSJX-15 JREC deputy OIC, brings a wealth of knowledge to the team from his infantry and logistics background, alongside his daily job as the deputy of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command OCS Branch. He explained that the teamwork between acquisition and non-acquisition players within the JREC is vital to the success of the training mission.
“The contractors can’t do contracting if they don’t clearly understand what is needed. The ground forces may not get what they need, if they can’t clearly define their requirements,” Ward said. “It’s vital to both sides, because without the coordination, they may go in different directions. The JREC can bring that coordination to the process.”
Ward compared the OCS culture change to seat belts. There was a time when not all cars had seat belts. Even after experience proved seat belts were valuable and they were put into all cars, not everyone saw the importance of them until they were told how it affects them personally.
The culture change didn’t come from just putting the seat belts in the car, it came after people were told how seat belts can keep them safe.
“Joint Publication 4-10 was released last year – the seat belts are in the car,” he said. “Now it’s just a matter of telling people why. Everyone should understand why OCS is important, why they should use OCS to help reach the commander’s intent and limit fraud, waste and abuse.”
Wilken echoed Ward, saying the institution of the JREC in exercises like OCSJC-15 is a step in the right direction toward OCS culture change.
“The great thing is that we are exposing the full spectrum of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines to OCS concepts and they are going to go back to their units to spread the word, planting the seed of OCS,” Wilken said. “This exercise spreads familiarity with OCS and it’s valuable because they will deploy, they will plan and now OCS will be a part of their consideration.”
Participants of OCSJX-15 will use OCS concepts during the Scenario Execution phase of the exercise, which ends April 11, but the true goal of OCSJX-15 is that the principles learned will stick and be incorporated in the future.
| Date Taken: | 04.09.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.09.2015 21:01 |
| Story ID: | 159592 |
| Location: | SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Not just contracting: JREC represents commander, operator in full-circle OCS, by MSgt Beth Del Vecchio, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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