Photo By Senior Airman Sebastian Romawac | U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Christine Burnham, 18th Comptroller Squadron resource advisor,...... read more read more
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Airmen from the 18th Contracting Squadron and 18th Comptroller Squadron worked long days, late nights and weekends in order to complete the 2023 fiscal year closeout for the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Sept 30, 2023, continuing success from last year’s fiscal year closeout.
The U.S. Air Force is given a set amount of funds every year, as decided by congress, and it is up to contracting and comptroller squadrons to work with their Wing’s respective units to effectively spend every dollar appropriated to their Wing by the end of the fiscal year.
As responsible stewards of American taxpayers’ money, the 18th CONS and 18th CPTS ensured funds were executed before the deadline for mission-essential and quality-of-life improvement contracts for units all over the 18th Wing and across Okinawa, Japan. Those improvements include infrastructure repairs, new equipment for units, facility remodeling and any other improvement to units that ensure Kadena Air Base remains the premier U.S. Air Force fighter Wing in the Indo-Pacific region.
“This year’s closeout has been challenging and difficult, but very rewarding to see how our Airmen, General Schedule civilians and Master Labor Contractors are able to flex and roll with the punches in order to execute on these contracts and get everything that our units need,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Porfirio Aragon, 18th CONS director of business operations.
The 18th CPTS and 18th CONS were able to execute on roughly $40 million for services, commodities and construction projects in support of missions across Okinawa during September 2023 with roughly $23 million of that total being in the last 8 days of the fiscal year.
One of the most mission-impacting projects accomplished during this year’s fiscal year closeout was the execution of a $7.5 million contract for Project Kinetic Cargo. Project Kinetic Cargo is a system that drives a 99.2% decrease in weighing and measuring cargo equipment before it gets loaded onto an aircraft. This Department of Defense-wide contract is set to enhance Agile Combat Employment capabilities across the joint forces and ensure execution at the speed of relevance.
Aragon linked much of this year’s fiscal year closeout success to the many units who came prepared with their unfunded requests, explaining clearly what their units need.
“When units communicate with us early and often, that helps us ensure that when the money flows and we are able to execute on a contract, that the government is getting the best value for what you’re looking for,” said Aragon.
The collaborative efforts of the 18th CONS and 18th CPTS equip Kadena Air Base Airmen with the facilities, services and equipment necessary to remain the Keystone of the Pacific; postured to deter, deny and defeat any threat to regional stability and the U.S. homeland.
“If there is no money, there is no movement; if there is no movement there is no Air Force,” said Airman 1st Class Deion Gullett 18th CPTS resource advisor. “I’m glad that I can see all the things Airmen in the 18th Wing accomplish every day and know that my team and I are helping enable our Wing to be the premier airpower hub of the Indo-Pacific.”
| Date Taken: | 10.11.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.20.2023 03:46 |
| Story ID: | 455498 |
| Location: | KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 137 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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