Photo By Airman 1st Class Zeeshan Naeem | U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nathan Koehn, 325th Contracting Squadron contracting...... read more read more
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TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – The 325th Contracting Squadron recently conducted Operation Contested Shores at Tyndall AFB, Aug. 5-9, 2024. The training exercise aimed at improving readiness and capability to establish and sustain necessary demands during deployments.
Operation Contested Shores serves as a contingency contracting officer capstone, a yearly Air Force instruction requirement for contracting specialists within the Air Force.
325th CONS emphasized task prioritization, time management and execution of contracting necessities. The exercise created a high-pressure environment with simulated bomb threats and the donning of mission-oriented protective posture gear within a controlled setting.
“Our objective is to guide them, so when they go down-range it’s not the first time they’re executing contract requirements within a time crunch,” said Capt. Kenneth Angel, 325th CONS operations officer. “This exercise simulates a high-pressure austere environment, it’s an invaluable opportunity to build experience and confidence within a safe space.”
With the transition to the Air Force Force Generation model, the yearly exercise shifted focus from local emergency response to a scenario aligned with the National Defense Strategy. 325th CONS simulated U.S. Indo-Pacific Command forward operating bases in order to respond to China’s continued aggression in the South China Sea, specifically focused on the Spratly and Paracel Island chains.
“We dedicated the first two days going in-depth with training and situational briefings,” said Tech. Sgt. Justin Merritt, 325th CONS noncommissioned officer of commodities. “The last two days involved them applying that knowledge. The teams were tasked with meeting objectives while briefing ‘base commanders’ for each forward operating base, all the while remaining prepared to [don] MOPP gear in response to possible hazards.”
Contracting specialists play a vital role as force multipliers for the Air Force during a deployment. By leveraging local economies and resources, contracting specialists ensure Airmen have access to necessary supplies for survival and sustain mission operations.
“People tend to underestimate the strategic value of financial resources,” said Angel. “Without contracting, how are our troops getting what they need to survive for a week? We’re able to provide essentials such as food, water and living space within a timely manner. We’re the only individuals in the Air Force that are authorized to obligate the government and its dollars, so this training is essential for real-world scenarios.”
Merritt explained that the experience gained through exercises such as Operation Contested Shores are increasingly critical with the ever-evolving circumstances in modern warfare, providing contracting specialists the knowledge and confidence needed to support the Air Force’s global mission and requirements.
“Overall, the week taught us a lot. We learned from the instructors and got to see a different side of our career,” said Senior Airman Trivane Dennis, 325th CONS contracting specialist. “I think many of our newer Airmen will be able to take something from this exercise and perform day-to-day duties at a much higher level.”
| Date Taken: | 08.20.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.20.2024 16:02 |
| Story ID: | 479060 |
| Location: | TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 37 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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